St Elian's Church

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed Grade II* for its special interest as a medieval parish church retaining good external and interior character, and for its scarce late Medieval painted decoration. History: Medieval twin-aisled parish church, mentioned as the Ecclesia de Bodwelennyn in the Lincoln Taxatio of 1291, though clearly on an earlier site. The earliest section appears to be the western part of the N chamber; this was extended eastwards and the S aisle added in the later medieval period and certainly by around 1500 it had reached its present scale and plan-form. The church was sparingly restored in 1859, with a later restoration of 1903. Exterior: Twin-aisled medieval parish church of rubble construction retaining some external render to the N side. The church has medieval sandstone and C19 limestone dressings and slate roofs with C19 kneelered and slab-coped gable parapets; these with gable crosses. Large gabled S porch with round-arched entrance and deeply-recessed C20 multi-panel doors. To the R of the porch is a 2-light leaded window with chamfered reveals and C19 cusped, pointed-arched heads; beyond this are 2 further, 3-light windows with similar heads. The N side has a further 3-light window to the L, as before, with a modern raking buttress to its R. Beyond this is a large 4-light early C16 window with replaced (C19) chamfered sandstone mullions; round-arched heads to the lights, with contemporary moulded and returned label, the returns with weathered head carvings. To the R of this window is a masonry break with the remainder of the N wall slightly advanced from this point. To the L of this section is a blocked Tudor-arched entrance with cyclopean lintel, of late C15 or early C16 date. To the far R is a 2-light window as before. The W gable of the N chambe

From Cadw under OGL v3.