"Carreg Dyn y Cyrn"
Llanbabo Church
('The Horned Man Stone')

by Arf Roberts
(Holyhead)

Llanbabo Church near Llyn Alaw

Good evening Wil

So you are still searching for the Devil's stone at Llanbabo Church.

You are not alone. So am I, but I very much doubt if we will ever find it.

Many of my ancestors on my mothers side of the family are interred in the small graveyard at Llanbabo.

My grandfather Richard (Dick) Jones was born in 1900 and lived with his family at Tyn-Lan the now derelict house on the opposite side of the road to the church and were heavily involved in the up-keep of the church and its grounds.

It is also stated by family members past and present that a tapestry once hung on one of the inside walls of the church. The names of first born children embroided onto it.

My aunt Elizabeth's name being the last added, also a historic Bible was donated to the church by the family - the whereabouts of both the tapestry and the Bible are now a mystery.

Returning to the devil's stone. When I was a child in the early 1960's one of my grandfather's many stories was about "Carreg Dyn y Cyrn" ('The Horned Man') as he called it.

My grandfather never revealed its location in the church grounds but would stress that only the sharp eyed would detect it and that some things are not what they seem.

My grandfather died in 1990 at the age of 90 and will always be remembered as the first RAC Patrolman on Anglesey.

A photograph of him, complete with motorcycle, sidecar and in full uniform, exists in the Valley Hotel showing him directing traffic at Valley crossroads.

If you do come across the stone of the horned man please let me know.