St John’s Church on Mostyn Street in Llandudno is a landmark as distinctive as the sweeping bay it looks out upon. Built in 1877 in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, it stands as a striking presence at the heart of one of Wales’s most popular seaside towns. It was intended to serve the seasonal influx of tourists as well as the growing local population. Today, it continues that dual role — welcoming holidaymakers and supporting a vibrant, active congregation.
But like many buildings of its age, time has left its mark. And among the church’s many stories is one that hints at a darker struggle. The original barrel roof was replaced by a magnificent hammer beam roof because of problems with the a whispering roof – legend says that a ‘talkative demon’ whispered in the rafters and spooked the local incumbent.
R. Moore Building Conservation is currently working on the church’s spire — addressing areas of defective stonework with the precision and sensitivity the building deserves. Spire work is always a challenge, particularly in a town centre location like Mostyn Street, where the street below remains busy with traffic and footfall.
To meet this challenge, we’ve adopted a pin-hole approach. Rather than wrapping the tower in a full scaffold, we’ve used a carefully designed scaffold setup that takes up minimal space on the ground — allowing safe and effective access for our masons, while keeping disruption to an absolute minimum. It’s a solution tailored to the setting, respectful of the town’s daily rhythm, and in keeping with our conservation ethos.
There’s satisfaction in knowing that our work — while quiet and often unseen — plays a role in extending the life of buildings like this. And perhaps, in some small way, we’re continuing the tradition of keeping the demons at bay.
