St Sawel Parish Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on S side of village in large graveyard.

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 stone dressings.

Interior

Plain interior mostly of 1887. Vaulted roof to W (tower) porch, narrow door to stair. Simple pointed chancel arch of 1887, small flanking hagioscope windows. Victorian scissor-rafter roof upon wall-posts. Ribbed boarded chancel roof of same date, crenellated wall-plate. Font reset in W wall N of entry, plain chamfered rounded bowl upon square corbel. Projecting C19 square stone stoup to opposite side of W wall. Raised pentagonal Victorian pulpit, oak linenfold panelling on Bathstone base. Florid Gothic carved stone reredos of 1890 (memorial to Williams-Drummond family of Edwinsford), depicting the Good Shepherd; flanking cusped panels with the Ten Commandments. Trefoiled Victorian piscina. Eight coronas (converted). 1887 pews, stalls and lectern. Tiled Sanctuary floor by Godwin and son of Hereford.

Reason for designation

Historic Parish Church retaining tower and medieval lancets of especial note.