Church of Saint Brynach, Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire

History

Anglican parish church of medieval origin but much restored in the C19. The cruciform plan predates the main restoration of 1878 by George Morgan, but it is not clear that the transepts are medieval. There were repairs in 1826, the chancel was restored around 1845 and a gallery was inserted in the nave, and other repairs were done in the 1850s. Morgan added the W porch, the big NE vestry parallel to the chancel, renewed the roofs, added windows to the sides of the S transept, to the chancel and to the N side of the nave. He also refitted the interior with ashlar reredos. The cost was about £1,000, largely carried by W.R.H. Powell of Maesgwynne. The S transept S window of 1849 by Bell of Bristol is one of the earlier pieces of stained glass in the region.

Exterior

Anglican parish church, rubble stone with Bath stone dressings and slate roofs with crested ridge tiles, coped gables and cross finials. Nave, chancel, transepts, W porch and NE vestry parallel to chancel. W end has 1878 rebuilt gabled bellcote with single pointed opening, coped gable, cross-finial and small gablets each side. 1878 W porch in squared sandstone with double-chamfered ashlar pointed arched entry, and 2-colour voussoirs. W door within is round arched with stone voussoirs and C19 double doors. Single light to each porch side wall. Nave S has 2 larger lancets ashlar framed with slight cusping inserted into earlier C19 pointed openings with stone voussoirs. Blocked possibly medieval chamfered pointed doorway between, with C5 or C6 inscribed stone reused in infill. S transept has signs of raised roof and detail all of 1878: S 2-light with quatrefoil head and single light to each side wall, with hoodmoulds. Nave N has 2 single lights, similar to those on S, of slightly different sizes, both ashlar and cusped, inserted into earlier C19, chamfered openings, one pointed, one with cambered head. N transept has C19 2-light N window with quatrefoil head and stone voussoirs, battered base to wall indicating early origin.
Chancel S has flat-headed 4-light window of 1878 with cusped heads to lights, E wall is all of 1878 with 3-light E window with rose in head of 3 trefoils and hoodmould. Each side is reset small medieval shield, reset upside down. Attached large NE vestry has E gable in line with 3-light pointed E window, 3 sexfoils in head and hoodmould over. N side has plain 4-light window with pointed heads, and segmental-pointed door to right.

Interior

Substantially C19 interior with whitewashed plastered walls and C19 roofs. Nave has close-spaced trusses on corbels, the front 2 corbels carved with shell motif, apparently reused C18. Plastered arched to transepts. Collar truss roofs. Pointed plastered chancel arch and 5-bay chancel roof with arched-braced collar trusses with apex struts, on corbels, and diagonal boarding. Ashlar surround to E window over painted ashlar reredos with 5 gables, fleur-de-lys finials and cusped-headed panels separated by ring-shafted columns. Four panels have texts painted on zinc, centre has carved surround and quatrefoil with IHS motif and is flanked by panels with flat heads and nailhead ornament, each with quatrefoil, one framing wheatsheaf, the other a vine motif. Encaustic tiles in sanctuary. Segmental pointed N door into vestry.
Fittings: Pitch-pine plain pews, more elaborate chancel stalls with cusped arcading and ringed shafts and matching timber altar rails with ringed shafts. Hexagonal timber pulpit with 4-panel sides, panels linenfold below, cusped headed above. Mid C20 limed oak altar in S transept. Octagonal C19 Bath stone font with quatrefoil panels. Memorials: on chancel N wall late C18 3-colour marble plaque with open pediment on consoles with shield, to Rev Rice Howell of Maesgwyn (d 1716) and descendants including Rev Walter Howell (d 1731), John Howell (d 1725), Hester Phillips (d 1739), Ann Lewes (d 1743) and Walter Rice Howell (d 1789). Neo-Grec marble plaque by Tyley of Bristol to Walter R. H. Powell (d 1834). Late C19 or early C20 tile panel to left of pulpit, to W.L. Philipps of Clyngwynne, (d 1895). Stained glass: N transept has 2-light later C19 stained glass window to T.R.O. Powell, St Thomas and Good Samaritan. S transept has single light each side with stained glass of 1878, E window to Walter Powell (d 1855), Suffer the children, W window to Margaret Powell (d 1878), Good Shepherd. S window is of 1849, signed by Joseph Bell of Bristol, Angel at the Tomb and Noli me tangere, in bright colours, pictorial style, to Emily Powell (d 1846).
Vestry has 4-bay roof on stone corbels. Collar trusses with arched braces and arched struts over collars.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a village church of medieval origins, primarily for position at heart of a largely C19 estate village.

External Links

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