Parish Church of St Sawel

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Historic Parish Church retaining tower and medieval lancets of especial note. History: Late C13/early C14 Anglican parish church, much restored 1887-90 by Middleton, Prothero and Phillot of Cheltenham. Mentioned in the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas I (1288-91) as worth 13-6-8. Fenton, writing c1804-13 found it a "poor miserable building without and within". In 1887, the roofs were heightened and renewed, the vestry built, the windows nearly all renewed and the interior refitted. Exterior: Late C13/early C14, restored 1887-90. West tower, aisle-less nave, short chancel with vestry. Rubble built, steeply pitched slate roofs; coped and corbelled gables with Cross finials. Wooden projecting eaves. Dressed stone C19 octagonal flue to NE corner of nave. Broad W tower with battered base beneath stringcourse. Plain parapet upon closely set corbels (possibly rebuilt late C18). Corbelled water-spout to N. Projecting NE stair turret with loops. Lancet high on N wall of tower. Two restored chamfered loops to W; one to S. Pointed W door, stone voussoirs. Three 1887 lancets of red sandstone (apparently Forest of Dean) to each side of nave, trefoiled heads. Small trefoiled lancet to extreme left of nave of c1340; red sandstone dressings, ogee head. Similar window opposite to N wall in lighter stone. Stone tablet to S wall in memory of Richard Griffiths of Cillyn d1724. 1887 triple lancet E window, hood mould and stops; Forest stone dressings. C14 lancet to S chancel wall as nave, similar window to N wall without the ogee head. Tablet to S wall commemorating 1887 restoration, blocked Priest s door to left; stone lintel. 1887 lean-to vestry to N, pointed E doorway with double chamfered reveals; incised stops to hoodmould. Paired lancets with ogee heads to N. Forest st

From Cadw under OGL v3.