Posted on 10/11/2023 by Thom
When visiting Rhos on Sea, you may find yourself stumbling over a very small stone building. Equally, it's that small, that were it not for the signposts pointing out the significance of the structure, you may be forgiven for missing it completely. For it is in Rhos on Sea, just 10 minutes from Llandudno, that you will have happened upon The Holy Well & Chapel of St. Trillo.
Who was St. Trillo?
According to Enwogion Cymru, Saint Trillo was of noble birth in Brittany and lived in the early sixth century. He was one of the sons of Ithel Hael and was a disciple of Saint Cadfan, who later welcomed Trillo into the religious life. Trillo became renowned for his holiness and was the founder of two churches in Llandrillo, Denbighshire and Llandrillo yn Rhos, Rhos-on-Sea in Conwy County Borough, Wales. To commemorate Trillo's life, stained glass in his church at Llandrillo was commissioned in the 1920s in memory of a former parish priest. Additionally, the No. 7 tram on the Great Orme Tramway was aptly christened 'St Trillo' in recognition of the saint.
The Chapel
The chosen site for this miniature chapel was likely to have been focused around the Well which Trillo would have used in baptisms and other religious ceremony. The Well is said to have healing properties from the underneath spring.
The structure itself measures 11 feet by 8 feet, and along with alter, under which the Well, still in use, sits even today. There is space for 6 people to sit, and perhaps more incredibly, regular services are still ongoing, carried out each Wednesday.
Britain's Smallest Chapel
Saint Trillo’s Church The following is extracted from a sign next to the church:
This fascinating building is thought to be the smallest church in the British Isles, seating only 6 people. It is named after St Trillo, the 6th century Celtic saint who built his cell here. The present building is a later construction of unknown date, heavily repaired over the centuries - St Trillo's original cell was probably made of wood and wattle, possibly protected against the cold winds by a wall of stones gathered from the beach. The chapel is on the site of an ancient spring. This provided St Trillo with his supply of drinking water, and would have been an important factor in making him pick this site. The well can still be seen in front of the altar. For centuries this well supplied the water for baptisms all over the extensive medieval parish of Llandrillo. In times gone by it also had a long tradition of being a healing well. Communion services are still held regularly in the Church - it is humbling to think that you are standing on a spot that has been the site of Christian worship for nearly 1500 years.