The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
Please enter a number
There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Set in the wooded valley of the Clarach, the church is to be found on the east side of the B4572 north of Pont Llangorwen. The village is 5km north north-east of Aberystwyth
Reference
AA Route Planner
Cadw Listing Notice.
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
This church is a significant Tractarian church built between 1836 – 41 by H J Underwood of Oxford, with a west front added in 1849-50 by William Butterfield and consecrated in 1841 by Bishop Thirlwall was conducted in Welsh. The cost was £3000 was paid by M D Williams of Cwmcynfelin whose brother was Revd Isaac Williams, curate John Henry Newman. Newman with Pudsey and Keble were the leading lights of the Oxford (Tractarian) Movement which sought to show how the Anglican church could hold more catholic ideas and practices. The local stone was donated by R Prichard of Penglais. The design was an early example of the close collaboration between Gothic architecture and the revival of Anglican worship. The stone altar was the first one in Wales since the Reformation. Members of the Oxford Movement took a close interest in the church, the lectern and chandeliers were gifts from Keble and Newman. The first vicar was Lewis Gilbertson (later Vice Principal of Jesus College Oxford). The design was based on Newman’s church at Littlemore, Oxford. The church was built to serve a more distant part of the area from the parish church at Llanbadarn Fawr
Buildings of Wales –Carmarthen and Ceredigion 2006
Cadw Listings Notice
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
Built in sandstone to the Early English style of nave and chancel with careful buttressing and string coursing all beneath steeply pitched slate roofs. A tower had been proposed but it proved too expensive so the vicar, Gilbertson, called on William Butterfield to disguise the baldness with a new west front and south porch. This was more sculptural with the bellcote rising from a mid-buttress which then splayed out to support a spirelet. Near the porch is a sundial on the south east buttress
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
A plastered austere interior beneath a low roof, the nave being c15 design with heavy tie beams, arch-braced from the corbels. The chancel roof has starved hammerbeams and is contrastingly ornate. With fine ashlar detail modelled on Salisbury cathedral, with a triplet of tall Bath stone shafted lancets above a full width blind arcade. The carved eagle oak lectern stands perched on a rail of the pulpit steps. The four bronze chandeliers are of a high quality of Gothic Revival metalwork probably based on the C15 chandeliers in Llanarmon yn Ial and Llandegla in Clwyd but are not copies – it may well be that Pugin and Harmon were involved in the design as there were few firms able to achieve this quality of work at this time. The stained glass: ‘Scenes from the Gospels’, William Wailes, 1842; ‘St John the Evangelist’ Celtic Studios, 1950; ‘Bible’c1872; ‘Palm Bible’ c1893; ‘Palm’ c1875; ‘Bible’ c1862; ‘Palm with Rosettes’, c1897; ‘Cross with a crown’, c1933; ‘Cross’, c1884; ‘HIS Monogram’ c1905; ‘Dorcas’, Celtic Studios, 1956; ‘The Good Shepherd with Virgin and Child’, Christopher Charles Powell, 1938, ‘The Good Shepherd and the Three Women at the Empty Tomb(from scenes from the Bible)’Charles Evans & Co, 1889. There are three bells, cast by C & G Mears in 1853.
Stained Glass in Wales
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.