History

The place name indicates an early medieval 'clas', or Celtic monastery. Of the parish church that succeeded it, the nave is probably C14 and the chancel was built in the late C15. Restoration in 1891 by Ewan Christian, architect of London, included renewal of most of the windows and insertion of the W and E windows.

Exterior

A Perpendicular style parish church comprising nave and chancel under a single roof, and S porch, of rubble stone with lighter freestone dressings and late C19 red sandstone freestone dressings and quoins, and tile roof behind a coped gable to the E. The porch has red sandstone dressings, and a pointed arch on timber posts below a timber-framed gable. To the L of the porch is a single cusped window, and to the R a 2-light window, both late C19. Below the R-hand window is a weathered memorial tablet to Thomas Havard (d 1827).

Between nave and chancel is a full-height vertical joint. The 2-bay chancel has a plinth band, stepped buttresses and diagonal SE and NE buttresses. It has 3-light C15 S windows, and a doorway in the L-hand bay under a 4-centred head, of C15 but with partly renewed C19 dressings, and a boarded door. The E window is a 3-light C19 insertion, under a hood mould. In the chancel N wall is a C15 3-light window similar to the S side. A full-height vertical joint separating nave and chancel has, directly above it, a tall red sandstone stack with octagonal shaft. In the nave N wall is a renewed narrow rood light, and a narrow pointed medieval window to its R. Further R are two 2-light C19 windows. The W end has a C14 doorway, which has a continuous chamfer and run-out stops, and C19 double boarded doors. The 3-light W window is a C19 insertion.

A tall, slightly splayed slate-hung bellcote has a boarded belfry with 2 cusped openings in each face, with louvres, and pyramidal slate roof with weathervane.

Interior

The porch has a 2-bay roof with arched-brace truss. The pointed C14 S doorway has a continuous chamfer and C19 boarded doors.

The nave has a 7-bay arched-brace roof on a moulded cornice and with 2 tiers of cusped windbraces. In one bay near the W end narrower replacement windbraces have been made to accommodate an additional queen-post truss on corbelled brackets, which supports the bellcote. At the E end of the nave is an additional wide bay which has a wagon roof with moulded ribs and boarded panels (probably intended to allow a painted ceilure over the rood). The pointed C15 chancel arch has wave mouldings to its chamfered responds. The chancel has a ribbed wagon roof on a moulded, castellated cornice, with boarded panels. A simple W vestry screen is dated 1924.

The font has an octagonal convex bowl, C14 or C15, on a later octagonal stem and base. Simple pews have shaped ends and the pulpit is polygonal. In the chancel the front choir stalls have poppy heads to the ends and open quatrefoil frieze. Rear stalls are plainer. The sanctuary has C19 detail, including communion rail on twisted brass uprights, and encaustic-tile floor. The E window, dated 1924, shows the resurrected Christ with 2 angels.

There are numerous wall tablets. In the chancel S wall is a brass to Anne Thomas (d 1901) by G Hay of Brecon. In the nave S wall, beginning at the E end, are the following memorials: A double inscription panel with shaped apron and surmounted by an urn, to Hugh Evans (d 1834) and his ancestors, by S Morris of Hay. Above it is a double inscription panel to Hugh Evans (d 1812) and family, by B Aston of Kington. A tablet to Richard Sheen (d 1832) has a panel on a corbelled apron, segmental pediment with flaming urn and 2 doves. A plainer memorial to Thomas Lewis (d 1845) has a corbelled apron and segmental pediment with urn. A sarcophagus type wall tablet below an urn commemorates Thomas Minton (d 1820). A plainer tablet commemorates John Harley (d 1822). The memorial to Henry Jones (d 1839) has a flaming and urn and doves, the same design as noted above for Richard Sheen. To the R of the S doorway the tablets are less well preserved. A memorial to Margaret Price (d 1824) has 2 oval panels. Next to it is a more weathered memorial to Jonas [Howard?] (d 1737), and plain memorials to Evan Jones (d 1802) and Anne Howard, the date weathered. In the nave N wall, beginning at the W end, is a simple classical memorial to Evan Jones (d 1845) with urn on a pediment, by S Loye of Peterchurch. A sarcophagus-type memorial with urn is to John Jones (d 1856), next to which are plain memorials to Thomas Lewis (d 1736) and Thomas Lewis (d 1781). A memorial to Mary Price (d 1816), by T Jones of Cusop, has an inscription panel surmounted by a trumpeting angel.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade I for its exceptional architectural interest as a substantial and well-preserved medieval church.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• St David's Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17743231

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)