Angle Fishermen’s Chapel | Capel Pysgotwyr Angle
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The little chapel situated in the grounds of the Church of St Mary in Angle is known as the Fishermen’s or Sailors’ Chapel, only a short walk from the beach at the west end of Angle Bay. The bay consists of mudflats and provides an important feeding area for waders. The Rosslare ferry passes quietly by the mouth of the bay and the town of Milford Haven can be seen behind.
St Mary’s Church is a medieval building whose chancel, nave, and porch date to the fourteenth century. A church was situated here for much longer, and Gerald of Wales was briefly the rector in 1175–6. The Fishermen’s Chapel probably derived its name from its crypt, which was used as a place to bring the bodies of drowned sailors prior to burial.
A plaque on the wall states that the chapel was founded by Edward de Shirburn of Nangle in 1447, and was dedicated to St Anthony. Late medieval tiles are set in the floor, as well as a medieval male effigy, presumably of the fifteenth century. Nineteenth century stained glass by William Wailes was added to the windows, probably provided at the time of the restoration of the chapel by Elizabeth Mirehouse in 1862.
The chapel is the home of one of a group of painted reredoses by the Arts & Crafts architect and artist John Coates Carter of Penarth. Having worked on churches across south Wales, perhaps his best-known work is Caldey Abbey, which was built from 1907 until 1913.
Most of these reredoses were made in the last decade of his life, and he appears to have designed, carved and painted them himself. The example at Angle was completed in 1926, only a year before he died. A sculpted Christ figure is seen robed and with his arms outstretched on the cross at the centre. Behind him is an idyllic landscape framed by large angels and the text: ‘I can do all things in Christ who strengtheneth me'.
The church and little chapel, like the angels, is picked out in gold to the left of a panoramic view of a line of people with their livestock; two men are pushing a boat into the water, as another stands with an oar. The upper part large sailing ship in full sail appears above the headland, a reminder of the busy waterway to the north of the peninsular.
Similar painted reredoses by John Coates Carter can be found in the west of Pembrokeshire at Walwyn’s Castle and Llandeloy, although neither are as localised as this one at Angle. Unpainted carved examples were made for the town churches at Milford Haven (St Katharine’s) and Pembroke Dock (St John’s). A set of carved saints accompany a Crucifixion scene at Milford Haven, while at Pembroke Dock the four main relief panels are scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary, with the Virgin and Child at the centre. The end panel of one of the folding wings features a ship in finely carved relief, a small reminder in the church of the maritime activities of the town.
Mae'r capel bach sydd wedi'i leoli ar dir Eglwys y Santes Fair yn Angle yn cael ei adnabod fel Capel y Pysgotwyr neu'r Morwyr, ac mae o fewn taith gerdded fer o'r traeth ym mhen gorllewinol Bae Angle. Fflatiau llaid yw’r bae sy’n fan bwydo pwysig ar gyfer adar hirgoes. Mae fferi Rosslare yn mynd heibio yn dawel ger ceg y bae a gellir gweld tref Aberdaugleddau y tu ôl.
Adeilad canoloesol yw Eglwys y Santes Fair ac mae’r gangell, y corff a’r porth yn dyddio o'r bedwaredd ganrif ar ddeg. Roedd eglwys wedi ei lleoli yma am lawer hirach na hynny, ac am gyfnod byr ym 1175-6 Gerallt Gymro oedd y rheithor. Mae'n debyg bod enw Capel y Pysgotwyr yn deillio o'r crypt, a ddefnyddid fel lle i ddod â chyrff morwyr oedd wedi boddi cyn eu claddu.
Mae plac ar y wal yn nodi i'r capel gael ei sefydlu gan Edward de Shirburn o Nangle ym 1447, a'i fod wedi ei gysegru i Sant Antwn. Mae teils canoloesol diweddar wedi'u gosod yn y llawr, yn ogystal â delw gŵr canoloesol, o'r bymthegfed ganrif yn ôl pob tebyg. Ychwanegwyd gwydr lliw o'r bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg gan William Wailes at y ffenestri, a ddarparwyd yn ôl pob tebyg adeg adfer y capel gan Elizabeth Mirehouse ym 1862.
Mae'r capel yn gartref i un o grŵp o reredosau paentiedig gan y pensaer a'r artist Celfyddyd a Chrefft John Coates Carter o Benarth. Ar ôl gweithio ar eglwysi ledled y De, efallai mai Abaty Ynys Bŷr yw ei waith mwyaf adnabyddus, a adeiladwyd rhwng 1907 a 1913.
Cafodd y mwyafrif o'r reredosau hyn eu gwneud yn ystod degawd olaf ei fywyd, ac mae’n ymddangos iddo eu dylunio, eu cerfio a'u paentio ei hun. Cafodd yr enghraifft yn Angle ei chwblhau ym 1926, flwyddyn yn unig cyn iddo farw. Gwelir ffigur Crist cerfluniedig mewn mantell â’i freichiau ar led ar y groes yn y canol. Y tu ôl iddo mae tirwedd ddelfrydol wedi'i fframio gan angylion mawr a'r testun: 'I can do all things in Christ who strengtheneth me’.
Mae'r eglwys a'r capel bach, fel yr angylion, i’w gweld mewn aur i'r chwith o olygfa banoramig o linell o bobl a'u da byw; mae dau ddyn yn gwthio cwch i'r dŵr, wrth i un arall sefyll gyda rhwyf. Yn y rhan uchaf mae llong hwylio fawr yn ei hwyliau llawn yn ymddangos uwchben y pentir, sy'n ein hatgoffa o'r ddyfrffordd brysur i'r gogledd o'r penrhyn.
Gallwch weld reredosau paentiedig tebyg gan John Coates Carter yng ngorllewin Sir Benfro yng Nghastell Gwalchmai a Llan-lwy, er nad yw'r naill na'r llall mor lleol ei ddeunydd â'r un hwn yn Angle. Cafodd enghreifftiau cerfiedig heb eu paentio eu creu ar gyfer eglwysi'r dref yn Aberdaugleddau (Eglwys y Santes Catrin) a Doc Penfro (Eglwys Sant Ioan). Mae set o seintiau cerfiedig yn rhan o olygfa’r croeshoeliad yn Aberdaugleddau, ac yn Noc Penfro mae'r pedwar prif banel yn dangos golygfeydd o fywyd y Forwyn Fair, gyda'r Forwyn a'r Plentyn yn y canol. Mae’r panel ym mhen draw un o'r adenydd plygu yn cynnwys llong mewn cerfwedd gain, yn atgof bach yn yr eglwys o weithgareddau morwrol y dref.