Church of St Denys, Lisvane
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| St Denys, Lisvane | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| 51°32′26″N 3°10′02″W / 51.5406°N 3.1672°W | |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Saint Isan |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 28 January 1963 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | stone |
| Bells | 3 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Llandaff |
The Church of St Denys is an Anglican church in the suburb of Lisvane, Cardiff. The church is ancient in origin, though the present building dates largely from the nineteenth century.
Denys is not a reference to Denis, the patron saint of Paris. The name is a locally created corruption of Dionysius, the Latin name used by Saint Isan.[1]
Early history
The precise date of the church's founding is unknown, though it is thought to date from around the same period as St Isan's in nearby Llanishen (which chose to dedicate itself to Isan's Celtic name), which would give an estimated date of around the 6th Century. The founder of the religious presence in the area is also unknown. It has been speculated that monks from Llandough, or possibly an influential landowner was responsible, though this is conjectural since no historical evidence concerning the church has survived from this period. The original structure would probably have been built of impermanent materials, as was common practice at this time (St Isan's is believed to have also began life in this form). The stone churches which replaced such constructions did not begin to proliferate until the Norman period, during which the church was a chapel of ease to St Mary's in Cardiff, which was still a separate and quite distant town.[2]
