History

Anglican parish church, medieval with additions. Short late medieval SW tower, nave and chancel probably earlier, and large N aisle of 1860-79 by Penson & Ritchie. By 1710 the church was roofless and was rebuilt at the instigation of John Vaughan of Derllys Court (d 1722). There was work in 1827-9 and the restoration of 1869-70 included new Bath stone windows and new roofs. Vestry rebuilt 1924. The N aisle had a W gallery removed in 1923. In graveyard N of path is gravestone of John Davies, pensioner, (d 1858) who 'fought at Corunna, Cuidad Rodrigo, Badjoz, Salamanca etc etc'.

Exterior

Nave, chancel and tower with stone rubble walls, partly white washed to nave and chancel. Walls of added N aisle of coursed rock-faced stone with ashlar quoins and plinth top. Slate roofs overhanging at gables. Battlemented short tower with high battered plinth, slightly battered shaft, plain square-headed W doorway, blocked earlier C19 pointed W window, and plain rectangular bell-openings beneath corbelled embattled parapet. W bell opening is blocked. Parapet is stepped up at NE for stair tower, which is corbelled out low on N side.
S wall of nave with 2 2-light C19 windows each with a quatrefoil head, blocked door below left window. Slate-hung E wall. Chancel has 3-light C19 E window with trefoil, single light to S wall, blocked earlier C19 window in N wall with brick head. Some blocking in E wall low down between brick piers may relate to a vault, early C19. Chancel S gabled vestry of 1924 with tooled grey stone quoins, reused C19 S window and 1924 E door.
N aisle has C19 2-light pointed E and W windows and N wall 3-light to right and a single lancet to left. Windows generally have hoodmoulds (except on nave S) and stone voussoirs, and are early Decorated in style.

Interior

Tower doorway has C15 pointed arch. High tower door blocked on nave W wall. Nave with coved plaster ceiling with large panel, earlier C19. Nave arcade of 3 and a half bays with round piers on high bases, plain pointed chancel arch. C19 chancel boarded wagon roof. C19 exposed timber roof to N aisle. Chancel S pointed door to vestry may be ancient.
Fittings: pine stalls of 1869, pews and oak stalls of earlier C20; early C20 reredos and panelling; organ and pulpit of 1935. C19 octagonal font.
Memorials: in nave: Thomas Jones of Johnstown (d 1848) by D James of Carmarthen. In chancel, fine early C18 marble memorial with broken curved pediment and entablature to John Vaughan of Court Derllys who died in 1722 Also in chancel, firstly, early C19 marble memorial with funeral urn and oval tablet to Edwardes family of Rhydygors, and secondly, earlier C19 memorial to David John Edwardes of Rhydygors (d 1827). Also plaques to Magdalene Bateman (d 1833) and Elizabeth Edwardes (d 1842).
Stained glass: E window 1952, one N window 1960, nave S 2-light 1969 and chancel lancet 1969 all by Celtic Studios, E window of N aisle by John Petts 1974.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* as a church of medieval origins early fabric. Memorial include one fine early C18 example.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Church Of St Mary at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17741755

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide