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).
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.
St Clears is now bypassed by the A40 about 15km west of Carmarthen and 35km east of Haverfordwest. The church is on the south side of the town opposite the town hall.
Reference
AA Route Planner Cadw Listings Notice OS Map 158
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.
A Papal Bull in 1147 asked for details of abbeys, but the one in St Clears was not mentioned whereas a similar bull in 1184 shows the St Clears Priory as being a dependent house of the Cluniac Priory of St Martin-des-Champs in Parish. When Henry V dissolved all alien houses. Henry then granted the church to All Souls College in Oxford. A geophysical survey in 1991 demonstrated the existence of below ground buildings to the south of the chancel. The present church retains the chancel arch of the priory – the finest piece of Norman carving in Carmarthenshire. The top story of the west tower was removed in 1759, in 1786 battlements were erected on the tower at the base of the steeple (now removed). In 1853-1855 the church was restored to the designs by the architect R K Penson. A vestry was added and the nave was re-fenestrated, re-roofed and re-seated. The firm of John Middleton and Sons, architects of Cheltenham and Westminster carried out further restoration between 1883-1884, the vestry was enlarged and a marble fireplace and chimney added in the vestry. The chancel was re-roofed, re-floored and re-plastered. In 1898 heating apparatus and a chamber were installed and then in 1914 the present organ was installed onto a gallery of 1909. Reference
Buildings of Wales –Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion 1994 Cadw Listings Notice Coflein 103852 Abbeys & Priories of Medieval Wales Janet Burton and Kate Stöber 2015
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
Constructed in limestone rubble with Bath stone dressings the church is one a three-bay chancel, a four-bay nave and west tower of three stories and a vestry. There are concrete tiles to the nave roof and slates to the chancel roof. The tower has corbelled battlements and a south east stair tower.
Buildings of Wales –Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion 1994 Cadw Listings Notice Coflein 103852
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.
The C12 chancel arch is exceptional in the quality of its carvings, it is a depressed arch of 2 thick rounded mouldings separated by 3 steps and an outer hood mould. There are two round shafts on each side with finely carved capitals with animal motifs, the outer one with cable vertical strips. The inner one with corner scrolls and some cable moulding. The innermost arch is on wall piers with chamfered angles defined by incised line and with scrolls at the tops. On the astern side between the two orders is a slot which may have held the ends of a rood screen. The tower has a flagstone floor and a high barrel-vaulted stone ceiling. The nave roof has arch-braced collar-trusses and a diagonally slatted timber ceiling rising from corbels. The chancel barrelled timber ceiling is boarded and ribbed and dates from 1883/4. The gallery is supported by plain iron columns, the pipe organ is massive and has a projecting centre section and turned sides, with tall, vertical arcaded panels above long horizontal panels. The Norman font C12/C13 is circular on a ringed shaft on a square base, it has probably been retooled. Throughout the church there are pitch pine box pews with vertical slatted rears with lightly decorated terminals and panelled doors. In 1900 an octagonal oak pulpit was made by James Griffiths a carpenter of the town to designs by the vicar, the Revd F Owen, with foliate designs to the upper panels and plain horizontal panels below. Dating from 1897 is a Gothic reredos in unvarnished oak made by Messrs T Thomason of Birmingham, it has three crocketed gables flanked by crocketed finials over a late C19 timber communion table with traceried panels. The eagle oak lectern of 1903 is by Wippell and Co of Exeter. The stained glass: the following windows were by Christopher Charles Powell: ‘The Call of Nathaniel,’, 1932; ‘The Beloved Physician and Paul in prison’, 1931; ‘The Risen Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene’, 1931; ‘St Christopher’, c1931; ‘The Light of the World and the Good Shepherd’, c1926; and ‘The Annunciation’ c1928; one window ‘The Crucifixion’, Mayer & Co of Munich, 1901 – it cost £140. The bells, between 1853 and 55 the three bells were recast into four new bells, however, in 1969 a ring of 8 bells was cast by John Taylor & Co.
Buildings of Wales –Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion 1994 Cadw Listings Notice Coflein 103852 Stained Glass in Wales A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
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.