A REFURBISHED church in Llanrwst has received £1,600 from The National Lottery Heritage to help towards day to day running costs.

St Grwst’s Church - with its newly created interpretation telling the story of St Grwst’s and its links with Llywelyn - has been closed to visitors and parishioners since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began.

It had planned to open its refurbished building officially on Easter Sunday, with the Bishop of St Asaph, but was left no option but to cancel.

North Wales Pioneer:

One of the interpretation panels at St Grwsts Church Llanrwst

The money secured means electricity bills and water rates for the heritage site can be covered.

Olwen John, one of the project team and a server at St Grwst’s, said: “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we can now pay the day-to-day running costs of the building.

"We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”

In 2018 St Grwst’s was awarded £707,700 from the National Lottery to upgrade the building and enable it to remain as a place of worship, while also serving a dual purpose as a heritage and tourist attraction, bringing visitors and the local community together.

The St Grwst’s building is about 600 years old.

New disabled access, vital repairs and upgrading work to the buildings had just been completed when lockdown happened.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis."

“We are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as St Grwst’s during this uncertain time.”