The Holy Well and Chapel of St Trillo, Rhos-on-Sea

Sat within beautiful surroundings on the seafront between Llandudno and Colwyn Bay in North Wales, this tiny stone building is about 11 feet by 8 feet with walls 2 feet thick. It is dedicated to St Trillo, a 6th-century Celtic saint from Brittany who built his cell here over a natural spring, thought to have been an ancient holy well, perhaps on a pre-Christian site.

St Trillo was the son of King Ithel Hael and came to Wales as a missionary, accompanied by other members of his family, including his brothers St Tegai and St Twrog. It appears that St Trillo lived as a hermit at this site sometime between 570 and 590 AD, and was buried on the holy island of Bardsey off the coast of Wales.

This fascinating building, which is thought to be the smallest church in the British Isles, has seating for just six people. The original building built by St Trillo was probably made of wood and wattle, possibly incorporating some stones gathered from the beach to protect the structure from winds.

The age of the current structure is unknown but some sources date it to the early 16th century, with restorations in more recent centuries. It has two stained glass windows in which St Trillo and St Elian are depicted, both Celtic saints.

Inside, under the altar, is St Trillo’s holy well. This water source likely influenced his decision to build his cell at this spot, which provided him with his supply of drinking water. The well was used for baptisms for centuries across the extensive medieval parish of Llandrillo, and the water had a reputation as having great healing powers. At the time of writing this, there is a removable wood and metal cover for access to the holy spring, which is soon to be replaced with a glass cover for easy viewing.

This has been a site of Christian worship for nearly 1,500 years, and its holy well still flows pure and clear. A weekly service of holy communion is still held at the chapel, as well as a range of outdoor services through the year.

I came to Rhos-on-Sea purely to see the chapel on my way back from my trip to Conwy, and I wasn’t disappointed. This charming little seaside town is well worth exploring whilst visiting the chapel. After visiting the chapel I had a lovely stroll down the beach with an ice cream and a wander around the shops.