History in Structure

Parish Church of St Cynwyl

A Grade II* Listed Building in Cynwyl Gaeo, Carmarthenshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.0417 / 52°2'30"N

Longitude: -3.9332 / 3°55'59"W

OS Eastings: 267507

OS Northings: 239907

OS Grid: SN675399

Mapcode National: GBR DY.FK1X

Mapcode Global: VH4H5.SY16

Plus Code: 9C4R23R8+MP

Entry Name: Parish Church of St Cynwyl

Listing Date: 8 July 1966

Last Amended: 2 August 1995

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 10908

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

ID on this website: 300010908

Location: Prominently situated in village centre within own graveyard. Lychgate some 50m to S.

County: Carmarthenshire

Community: Cynwyl Gaeo

Community: Cynwyl Gaeo

Locality: Caeo

Traditional County: Carmarthenshire

Tagged with: Church building

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History

C15 appearance, but nave and chancel are earlier. Much restored 1858 and 1891, the latter restoration for รบ1760 by Ewan Christian, architect of London. Nave and chancel with no structural division, W tower and S aisle. Arcade inserted and S aisle built C15. Tower also added C15. Sir Stephen Glynne visiting on 1850 remarked on a "large rough church" with "poor Third Perpendicular" detail. The 1858 restoration probably saw the replacing of windows to the S side and chancel E. During the 1891 restoration, the church was reroofed, refitted and the N side rewindowed. The W and E Perpendicular windows of the aisle are original.

Exterior

Rubble built, slate roofs (stone-tiled N slope), timber soffits and barges. Nave and chancel without structural division, S aisle. Broad W tower with battered base below stringcourse, corbelled embattled parapet, NE projecting rectangular stair- turret. Two-light belfry windows with chamfered jambs and pointed heads to each side. Loop to E wall, chamfered pointed lancet to N wall. To W, a 2-light Perpendicular mullion window with label: chamfered jambs, trefoil lights. C19 4-centred chamfered W door of light sandstone, boarded door, strap hinges.

N wall with three 1891 Perpendicular style square 3-light labelled windows of purple sandstone, trefoiled lights. To lower right an eroded early inscribed stone built into wall in mid C19, reading in 1878 as "Regin Filius NV (V) Inti". To left, railed Dolaucothi family vault with plaque to church wall "This vault belongs to the family of Dolaucothy. Built in the year 1815". Pointed E window of chancel, Perpendicular Bathstone tracery probably renewed 1858. E window to aisle of grey sandstone, dating from the C15 with simple panel tracery. Joint between aisle and chancel.

S elevation with three square windows as to N but in Bathstone, probably renewed 1858. Low 1891 chamfered 4-centred door to left, purple sandstone dressings and drip. W window of aisle is an original C15 square 3-light mullion with label and trefoiled lights, grey sandstone dressings.

Interior

Inserted 4-bay C15 arcade, slightly pointed plain arches upon square piers. C15 small octagonal font of red sandstone, underside chamfered to octagonal pedestal with corner stops, 1891 moulded square base, modern plinth. W (tower) porch with pointed stone vault, square red sandstone stoup set into S wall (self-feeding). Narrow chamfered door to stair to NE corner, pointed head, diagonal stops. Wide boarded 1891 wagon roofs with ribs (closely-spaced over chancel), two dormers to nave S with stone square 3-light windows. Crenellated timber wallplate. 1891 Perpendicular piscina. Doorway above E tower arch probably into former gallery. 1891 pitch pine pews and choirstalls, the latter with long panels of open cusping. 1891 timber polygonal pulpit upon Bathstone base and steps, upper panels of open tracery. Late C19 decorative coloured glass to chancel E window. 1891 timber screens creating vestry at W end of aisle, half-glazed screen of similar date across E tower arch with paired planked and studded doors.

Monuments: S aisle- Lt James Beek, erected 1875, signed W.M. Thomas of London, bust in roundel inset in draped tablet, sword and drooping lilies below. Chancel: William Lloyd (d 1786), oval tablet, cornice, urn finial. John Bowen (d 1814), William Morgan (d 1838), Baskerville family (1845), all neo-classical by J Thomas of Brecon. C19 tablets to Johnes family of Dolaucothi to chancel S. Early C20 tablets to nave with 1918 War Memorial signed E.J. Williams of Llanybyther. Gothic tablet to H and M Davis in porch signed D Davies, Llanwrda.

Reasons for Listing

Ambitious medieval parish church with double nave, large west tower, original windows and self-supplying stoup of special note.

External Links

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