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.
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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).
The name/dedication of the church and its location.
A brief description of the image
The date the image was created.
Details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who uploaded the image.
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.
The Church of St Martin of Tours is situated in Haverfordwest, the County town of Pembrokeshire, established during the medieval period. The early town grew up around the castle which was established on a bluff overlooking the west bank of the River Cleddau. The original medieval walled settlement or “Castleton” lay immediately west and north of the castle, around the church, although neither the town wall nor its gates survive.
The medieavl St Martin’s Church sits within its elevated rectangular churchyard, bounded on the west by the major through-route of the A487, with a large 3-storey late 20th century brick building to the south and a mixture of modern and 19th century housing to the east. The imposing former late Georgian Weslyan Chapel lies to the north.
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.
Believed to have been built in tandem with the castle c1120 the earliest remaining parts of the church are early C14, the tower was added in early C15 and in earlyC16 the south aisle was added together with a priest’s room over the porch. The fabric deteriorated until the extensive repairs of 1862-5 by C E Giles of Taunton (he had then replaced the existing spire in1870 with one 15 feet taller making 49 feet (16m). The works were supervised by a clerk of works, Jesse Harvey of the Prendergast paper mill at a cost of £2000. In the late C19 the patrons were the de Winton family of Brecon (Owners of the ‘Old Bank’ in that town – now merged into Lloyds Bank.) As a result, it was one of very few Anglo Catholic centres in St David’s Diocese. Between 1908 and 1953 the incumbent was Arthur Baring-Gould. A fresco added by C G Gray of Cambridge, a wall painting specialist, has now gone.
Reference Buildings of Wales –Pembrokeshire 2004 Cadw Listings Notice
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
A Nave and Chancel with a northwest tower with spire, porch, a south aisle and lean-to addition to the chancel on its northside. Built from brown rubble stone with slate roofs. The thin tower is typical of South Pembrokeshire built mostly in grey limestone, it has minimal loops for its bell openings and a corbelled low parapet. The recessed octagonal spire is built with grey limestone ashlar with three moulded bands of and finial of Forest of Dean stone.
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.
A brief description of the image.
Copyright details.
The name of the person who inputted the image.
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.
Just inside the porch are to be found a couple of C14 niches. Inside the church the nave has ana arch-braced roof while the chancel has a scissor truss roof dating from 1860. Between the nave and chancel is a fine chancel arch. Two arches have been added to the nave to provide access to the side aisle and there is a Tudor arch between the chancel and the aisle. The font dating from C12 has been much retooled and has a low squat bowl with angled corners on an octagonal shaft. The large pulpit was made in 1860 from Bath stone and has blank quatrefoils. There is a screen in the porch by H J P Thomas. Within the church is a C13/C14 coffin lid with a foliated Latin Cross. There is a Concrete slab of a portrait of the Virgin Mary surrounded by Shards of by Stephen Sykes, 1960s, who also worked at Coventry Cathedral. The stained glass: ‘Christ as a Pilgrim with St Martin and St David’, c1880; ‘Christ in Glory’, Celtic Studios; ‘The Annunciation’, Christopher Charles Powell, 1940; ‘The Annunciation, Virgin and Child and Visitation’, Heaton, Butler & Bayne, 1909; ‘Christ with St Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary and St John’, -set against a rich blue ground- Morris & Co – designed (after) Edward Coley Burne -Jones,1921; The Nativity’, C E G Gray, 1896. The bell dates from the C18.
Reference Buildings of Wales –Pembrokeshire 2004 Cadw Listings Notice A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead 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.