History

Built on the site of an earlier church in 1848 by John Harries, architect of Llandeilo. Arcades were built on medieval piers, which were reduced in size in 1878, when the walls were scraped. The tower was added in 1902 by David Jenkins, architect of Llandeilo.

Exterior

Tudor-Gothic style church comprising nave with lower and narrower chancel, N aisle, of equal width to the nave, with chapel (now vestry), and NW tower, of rubble stone with red sandstone and Bath stone dressings and quoins, and slate roof behind coped gables. Windows are mainly square headed with hood moulds, 2 round-headed lights and sunk spandrels. The N aisle has 2 N windows and a gabled NW porch, which has a pointed doorway with continuous chamfer, and double doors with vertical ribs. Above the doorway is a shield dated 1849, commemorating the completion of the church. A NE aisle doorway has a Tudor head with continuous chamfer and boarded door. The vestry has a single 2-light N window on the E side of grave slabs added to the wall and enclosed by railings, and 3-light square-headed E window. The chancel has a 3-light E window with geometrical tracery and hood mould, and a single cusped S window, between added lean-to boiler and coal house. Beneath the window is a re-set grave slab of 1749. The nave has 4 S windows. The W wall is roughcast. The nave has a 3-light, the aisle a 4-light square-headed window.

The 3-stage tower is battered at the base. It has a W doorway with Tudor arch and continuous chamfer, and double ribbed doors. On the N side is a square-headed window, and the W side has a similar window to the middle stage. The bell stage has 3-light openings with trefoiled lights and louvres. The crown has stepped battlements, behind which is a pyramid roof, incorporating fish-scale slates, and apex weathervane.

Interior

Nave, aisle and chancel have plastered wagon roofs with moulded arched ribs. The 4-bay nave arcade has octagonal piers, scalloped capitals and round arches with 3 orders of chamfer. The plainer round-headed chancel arch has 2 orders of chamfer. The 2-bay chancel arcade has detail similar to the nave arcade, but with segmental arches. The arch leading from N aisle to vestry is lower but similar to the chancel arch.

The square font bowl stands on an octagonal stem. Numbered pews have simple poppy heads. The polygonal pulpit has blind Gothic panels. The contemporary communion rail is of wood and scrolled iron. There are several notable wall monuments, most of which were salvaged from the old church and re-set. In the chancel N wall is a polychrome marble tablet to Thomas Evans (d 1743) and family, with pilasters and urn. On the S side of the chancel is a marble tablet to Evan Thomas (d 1917) with mosaic background. Next to it is a grave slab to Margaret Davies (d 1729) and small brass memorial to Lewis Jones (d 1803) by J Jones of Carmarthen. In the nave S wall is a tablet commemorating Henry Lewis (d 1822), by D Mainwaring, comprising an inscription flanked by fluted pilasters surmounted by a draped urn, on a slate background. Below it is a marble memorial to the 1914-18 war. In the E wall of the nave is a small marble sarcophagus memorial to David Richards (d 1782) and a cartouche to Mary Anthony (d 1761). In the N aisle is a marble memorial with urn to Thomas Jones (d 1783) by William Paty of Bristol. A simpler marble memorial to Emily Garnons (d 1855), by Reeves of Bath, is in the E wall.

Several windows have stained glass. In the E window, by Clayton & Bell, is a figure of Christ, post 1881. A similar chancel S window is post 1875. The vestry has a Nativity in the N window, post 1907, by Kempe & Tower. In the nave S wall the window to the E end shows the Virgin Mary, early C20 by C E Kempe; the next window shows the Rose of Sharon and lilies of the field, of the early C20, and then SS Catherine and Margaret.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a C19 parish church of definite quality and character, with good interior detail, and for its contribution to the overall historic integrity of this small village.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29498785

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.

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