Church of St Tysul

Cadw's description

Location

Situated by River Teifi in large churchyard.

History

C13 to C15 Anglican parish church, altered 1829-31 by Rees Davies of Trewindsor, and restored 1873-4 by Middleton and Goodman of Cheltenham. W tower, nave, aisles, and chancel.

Exterior

Fine tall tower, said to be C13 but details C15, high battered plinth with moulded pointed W door, hollow-moulded with eroded hood, C19 doors. Above plinth 3-light Perpendicular style traceried window with hood, marked 'renewed 1847', set at base of tall undifferentiated battered tower with small 2-light cusped bell-openings of C15 type, corbel table and parapet. Corner gargoyles. NE stair tower.

Nave and chancel with slate roofs, terracotta ridges and cross finials to coped cables. Lean-to aisles. N aisle has 1874 Bath stone N door, moulded and shafted. Ancient carved cross in stonework above, then 2 pointed windows with intersected tracery, possible of 1830. S aisle has one 1874 window with ballflower decoration and 2 with intersected tracery. Chancel rebuilt 1874 has arched blocked opening on N side, traceried N window, ornate traceried E window with reset carved head above. S chancel lean-to with traceried window and door.

Interior

Tower has rubble barrel vault, rare in Cardiganshire, inscribed Romano-British stone reset on N wall and hollow-moulded depressed-arched N stair door.

Late C19 timber tower screen. Nave has sturdy unmoulded pointed 3-bay arcades on square rubble piers, all plastered before 1874, and king-post roof of 1874. Similar arches to tower and chancel. N aisle has retooled medieval 4-lobe font on circular pier, and C20 Lady Chapel altar includes ancient cross-inscribed stone found near Coedfoel. Rood-loft stairs to right. S aisle has E end squint. Ornate 1874 stone pulpit by Boulton of Cheltenham.

Chancel has 1874 roof, arch-braced trusses on stone angel corbels. East window ornately traceried, with stained glass of c1919 by W E Tower.

Monuments: at E end of S aisle slate slab to John Lewis of Dinascerdin (d1788), in nave fine marble plaques to Eliza Lloyd of Alltyrodin (d1805) and to D Lloyd (d1822) signed D Mainwaring. In N aisle Gothic marble monument to John Lloyd (d1841).

Reference: Church is said to have been thatched until 1783. A picture of 1859 in vestry shows a low single roof over nave and S aisle. The 1874 restoration is said to have involved the complete rebuilding of the chancel and raising of the nave roof.

Reason for designation

Group value with neighbouring listed buildings.