Criccieth, Carnarvonshire

Description
Criccieth, a small town and a parish in Carnarvonshire. The town stands on the N coast of Cardigan Bay, 4 miles W by S of Tremadoc, and 8 E of Pwllheli; was once a market-town, is now a rising watering-place, with a station on the Cambrian railway, and is governed by a local board. It unites with Carnarvon and other boroughs in sending a member to Parliament. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office (R.S.O.) The parish church is Later English; it was restored about 1873. For the accommodation of summer visitors, a new church has been built (nave in 1887, chancel added 1889), containing sittings for 700. It is dedicated to St Deiniol (first Bishop of Bangor, A.D. 550). It has a fine east window of seven lights. It is used for English services, the parish church (dedicated to St Catherine) for Welsh. The castle stands on an eminence overlooking the sea; is said to have been built by Edward I. on the site of an ancient encampment; consists now chiefly of the entrance flanked by two lofty circular towers and some fragments of walls, and is highly picturesque. There are Congregational, Baptist, Wesleyan, and Calvinistic Methodist chapels. The parish comprises 1724 acres, of which 101 are water and foreshore ; population of the civil parish, 1507; of the ecclesiastical, 1580. The living is a rectory, united with the perpetual curacy of Treflys, in the diocese of Bangor; joint net value, £60 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Bangor.