St Catwg's Church

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed as a well-designed mid C19 Gothic Revival church, with eye-catching SW turret, described by Newman as one of the best churches designed by Prichard and Seddon. On an historic site and in a prominent village position; group value with lychgate and The King s Arms. History: Built 1857 by Prichard and Seddon. An early medieval foundation dedicated to the Celtic Saint Catwg and site reputedly chosen for its proximity to a holy spring in S of churchyard and an offshoot of St Catwg s monastery at Nant Carban (Llancarfan). Earliest records are from C12. Exterior: Small parish church in Decorated Gothic Revival style. Of coursed rubble sandstone with some coloured banding with red sandstone, ashlar dressings, again decoratively coloured, and banded steep pitched Welsh slate roof with apex cruciform finials. Tall nave with slender SW turret, shallow S porch, slightly lower narrower chancel, wide extended N vestry Turret is octagonal and is decorated with canopywork, blind and in the form of gabled buttresses to the lower stage which also has a deep battered plinth, open above, with a tall slender spirelet incorporating small pierced cinquefoil and lancet openings. South porch also with steep-pitched roof has high pointed-arched moulded doorway with decorative voussoirs and buttresses with offsets and reset monuments either side. Nave and chancel have mostly 2-light pointed arched windows with curvilinear tracery; prominent diagonal buttresses with stepped coping at corners. Fine large east and west windows with elegant curvilinear tracery. Churchyard contains a number of early- mid C19 chest tombs especially to SE. Interior: Interior has painted rendered walls with exposed ashlar dressings and dark stained boarded roof; 5 bays to nave with arch-bra

From Cadw under OGL v3.