Church of Saint David, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire

History

Anglican parish church with late medieval tower, the rest rebuilt 1866-8 by John Foster of Foster & Wood of Bristol, the brother of the rector Rev. Francis Foster (1834-98). Minor alterations 1910 when window was inserted above W door of tower.

Exterior

Parish church, mostly of squared rubble stone with slate roofs, red terracotta ridges and coped gables with cross finials. Nave and chancel, parallel roofed N aisle and NE chapel with medieval W tower at end of N aisle. Tower is of rough rubble, large and plain, tapering with corbelled flat parapet. Small louvred rectangular bell-lights, pair on s, single on W. Two similar narrow loops on W side. C19 pointed W door with pointed arch oddly supporting mullions of a 3-light late Gothic style ashlar window with hoodmould.
Nave W has quatrefoil roundel with voussoirs in gable, three long lancets with stone voussoirs, trefoiled roundels in heads, two large buttresses with battered plinths and sloping tops. Bull-nosed string course above plinth. SW corner has 2-step buttress. s side has 2-light with quatrefoil above and stone voussoirs to left of large gabled porch. Porch has pointed arch with moulded head and stone voussoirs. Plinth moulding carried around. Pointed inner door. Two similar 2-light windows to right of porch and small buttress between. Large buttress to nave SE corner. Chancel has two two-light windows with quatrefoil roundels and stone voussoirs, separated by a small buttress. E end has big 3-light window with sexfoil in head and stone voussoirs. Buttress to right. NE chapel has single long E lancet, N side has two two-light windows, plain cusped lancets. Nave n has big buttresses each end, with plinth moulding, and two 2-light windows with quatrefoils and stone voussoirs.

Interior

Plastered walls, open timber nave roof with four arch-braced collar trusses with wishbone braces above collar, springing from fluted corbels which carry also arched braces up to the purlins. Segmental-pointed tower arch with stone voussoirs. Plastered vault to tower, asymmetrical to W window. Segmental pointed door to tower stair in NW corner. Broad moulded pointed chancel arch, the outer order keeled the inner order on triplet of marble-shafted columns on a big fluted corbel, heavily moulded with nailhead and keeled mouldings. S side openings chamfered in segmental pointed reveals. N side three-bay arcade on octagonal columns banded in grey stone with moulded caps and bases. E respond is not banded. Heavily moulded pointed arches, one arch narrower. N aisle has steep rafter roof carried on corbels on S with raking braces to give 6-sided profile. NE chapel has scissor-rafter roof and two-bay arcade with banded round column, responds not banded, pointed arches. Chancel has brattished wallplates broken on N for arcade, and close-spaced transverse ribs to pointed roof. One step at chancel arch, three to sanctuary.
E wall has carved stone reredos to the architect John Foster, 1894, designed by his partner Joseph Wood, three inlaid marble squares with cross, alpha and omega, flanked by crocketted statue niches under paired tall crocketted finials. Statues added 1926. Linenfold panelling each side. Chancel floor of encaustic tiles (under carpet) to Admiral J.L. Stokes died 1885.
Fittings: Square scalloped font, C12 style, heavily painted. Massive ashlar drum pulpit in High Victorian style on squat column base with four detached marble-shafted colonnetes. Drum has a band of nailhead below, moulded top band and a sunk vesica-shaped panel and four small roundels all inlaid with marble carved with IHS symbol and Evangelists symbols. Oak eagle lectern to the Rev. F. Foster. Organ in pitch pine case, by Vowles of Bristol 1874. C20 chancel stalls and reading desks, memorial to two Evans sons drowned 1948. Oak altar rails. Pitch pine pews with panelled ends.
Stained glass: Nave S first window, two-light to Rev. W. Watson died 1941, the road to Emmaus; second window, the Magi, to the Izard family, 1940, by C.C. Powell; third window, richly coloured, Christ with Martha and Mary, to HM Macbean died 1881, by Bell of Bristol; W window three-light, Suffer the children, to E.T. Massy of Cottesmore, died 1882 and his wife died 1888 by A.L. Moore of London. In tower vestry, single light, St David, 1909, by Powell. N aisle second window, Nativity to Fanny Samson died 1928 and third, Resurrection, to Louis Samson died 1925, both by Powell. NE chapel first SS Mary & Cecilia, c. 1988; second Lazarus and Joseph c. 1979 similar; and E lancet, the happy warrior, c1920 war memorial. Chancel S two-light to Rev. F. Foster died 1898, Feed my sheep, with portrait; and second in similar style to Emily Foster died 1891, Christ and Mary. E window 1887 Crucifixion, C15 style, by Burlison & Grylls.
Memorials: reset on W wall. Katharine Philipps, C18 with cornice and two cherub heads below; unidentified early C18 memorial, draped with cherub heads; Dame Mary Philipps, matching Katharine Philipps memorial, with arms above, cherubs below; Thomas Lloyd of Glanafon died 1851, plain neo-Grec. S wall scrolled plaque to D. Morgan Lloyd of Glanafon, died 1868 and wife died 1871.In vestry, marble plaque to David Evans died 1830 in grey marble reeded surround, by Phillips of Cartlett. Aisle plaque to Col F. Williams Royal Marines died 1830, finely carved urn and neo-Grec detail, by Reeves & Son, Bath; Mary Ann Beezard died 1821, with urn. Behind organ, oval plaque to John Williams of Cott died 1799 and wife and son died 1800, by Daniel Mainwaring of Carmarthen. NE chapel marble plaque to Edith Massy died 1848, simple neo-Grec, by J. Thomas of Pembroke Dock.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as a substantial Victorian church with medieval NW tower.

External Links

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