History

1857 Anglican parish church by R.J. Withers, originally with tower and slated broach spire, spire removed by W.D. Caroe 1914 and tower removed 1981. It replaced a church of 1804.

Exterior

Pwntan sandstone with Bath stone dressings and steep slate roofs. Nave and chancel, S porch and N vestry/organ chamber. Lancet windows, high plinth, coped gables and cross finials. Nave has plain flush lancets, two to W with cinquefoil roundel. N 3 single lights, one 2-light and one single light. S single light, porch, 2-light and single light, then rendered scar of former tower with reset 2-light. Two-step low clasping buttresses at W end, and two buttresses to N side. Porch has steep gabled roof, low side buttresses, slate steps up, and pointed-arched entry with hoodmould and carved head stops. Moulded pointed arched inner door with ornate iron strap hinges. Chancel has high chamfered plinth and moulded sill course stepped around S and E. Clasping SE buttress with gabled caps and single NE similar buttress. S side has single-light, door up 5 slate steps with moulded raking coping, and 2-light to right. Hoodmoulds to chancel S windows and door, the door hood continuous with window sill-course. E end has tall triplet with linked hoodmoulds and sill course. NE vestry is lean-to with battered stone chimney on roof-slope, one 2-light E window, and similar N window to vestry, single N lancet to organ chamber. W door masked by crude later addition.

Interior

Tall well-proportioned interior with rafter roofs, straight-braced to nave, arch-braced to chancel, and whitewashed walls, text painted under wall plate. Moulded pointed chancel arch with hoodmould and angel stops, inner arch on corbelled capitals. S side arch to former tower, blocked. Chancel has N side organ chamber segmental-pointed arch, pointed vestry door with hoodmould continued to right as horizontal course. S side has similar hood over S door continued left as sill course. Steps to sanctuary and encaustic tiles. Fittings: C15 octagonal font with varied fleurons each face and small fleurons in base mould, C19 octagonal shaft and carved square base. Ornate 1874 pulpit and reredos by J. Middleton of Cheltenham, the pulpit with 3-bay Gothic arcaded front, marble shafts, diapered panels with pink marble roundels framing white marble floral motifs. Similar detail to each end. Moulded marble coping. Reredos is full-width, lavishly carved, with crocketted gabled end panels with marble Commandment panels, and these flank 3-3-3-bay centre of ogee arcading with granite shafts, carved capitals and stiff-leaf carving in spandrels. Arcade panels have pink marble diapering, and centre three have two roundels (grapes and corn), similar to pulpit and centre white marble cross. 1857 pews, stalls and altar rail. Fine post 1870 Gothic brass lectern. 1871 organ by Foster and Andrews of Hull, with painted pipes. Stained glass: unusually extensive collection. Simple coloured patterned glass 1857 by N.W. Lavers, in 2 chancel S windows and organ chamber N window. Big E 3-light with nine panels, painterly style, eroded in detail, 1857 by C. Clutterbuck. Nave has 2-light W window with 4 panels of Works of Mercy, by N.W. Lavers 1857. S side: 1: very fine palm-tree and rose design on red ground, post 1864, by Lavers and Barraud; 2: 2-light with finely executed bowls of lilies and roses on ground of patterned square quarries, 1883 by Joseph Bell of Bristol; 3: Christ figure and small panel of St Dorothea, 1893 by Powell; 4: reset in former tower arch, 2-light St David and St Alban 1929 by Jones & Willis. N side has: 1. St Mary, by C.E. Kempe, post 1898, 2. Light of World, C14 style; 3. Good Shepherd, similar to 2., both probably c1860-70; 4. Christ stilling tempest, fine 2-light in deep blues and reds, c1870-5; 5. St George by Powell 1902. Monuments: mostly gathered at W end and damaged, two were said to be by D. Mainwaring of Carmarthen (Shell Guide). Slate plaque to Parrys of Noyadd Trefawr, c1724, damaged early C19 marble memorials to Griffiths of Llwynduris, Shirreff of Stradmore, Webley-Parry of Noyadd Trefawr, and Brigstocke of Blaenpant. In vestry is painted slate plaque to Grace and James Lewes of Penralltybie, (dd 1700 and 1716).

Reasons for Listing

Listed, despite loss of tower and spire, a good mid-Victorian church with unusually good stained glass and fittings. Included as key item in group.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29495508

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)