Church of St Colman

Cadw's description

Location

Situated some 600m down lane running S off B 4332, just W of Cilwendeg main entrance.

History

Medieval site recorded as abandoned c1720, rebuilt in 1764, restored 1810 but rebuilt again in 1835-7 to designs by Daniel Davies of Blaenpwlldu, Capel Colman (the adjacent farm) for Morgan Jones 2 of Cilwendeg. The interior was refitted and windows altered 1895 by Richard Thomas of Cardigan. Further work is recorded in 1909, when organ was added.

Exterior

1835-7 Anglican parish church by Daniel Davies of Capel Colman, altered 1895 by Richard Thomas of Cardigan. Rubble stone and Cilgerran stone or slate dressings and some render. Small, 40' by 22' (12.2 x 6.7 m), single vessel with thin W tower and porch. Slate roof. Steep pyramid caps to finials on corners of church, tower and porch. W end has rendered tower, rectangular in plan, with two plain arched louvred openings, moulded stone cornice and high battlemented stone parapet with taller corner piers carrying pyramid finials. Tower projects only slightly from nave which has angle piers, finials and similar raked crenellation, and two horizontal slate courses. Stone W porch with raised surround to chamfered Tudor arch, raised outer piers with finials on pedestals, edge-on slate raked crenellations up to centre similar finial on raised pier. Arched doorway with Y-tracery panelled door. Whitewashed, rendered S wall with two pointed windows. E end has similar angle piers, corner and apex finials and raking battlements. Pointed E window, slate course across gable and slate gable roundel. Rubble stone N side has added lean-to vestry/organ chamber and one window, added 1895. 1895 timber Y-tracery with coloured glass, E window has stained glass.

Interior

Plastered walls and coved edge to flat ceiling, with moulded plaster border along W side. Medieval font built into wall inside W door, with plain round bowl, chamfered below and round shaft. Attractive W gallery on two pine columns with two half-column responds, gallery front panelled. In gallery are three arches, larger centre, the left and centre are seat recesses, the right arch over stairs. Panelled seat-backs. From stair-head, panelled door into tower. Below gallery, plank doors to left and right, the right door to gallery stairs. Late C19 pews, C20 altar and 1962 panelling. 1909 organ to N. Stained glass E window probably 1895.

Monuments: N side: Mary Jones d1823 marble with crude palm tree, by Mainwaring of Carmarthen, and M.A.Saurin d1885. E wall: Jacob Jones and family, circa 1833 oval plaque with urn, by Mainwaring, and Rev John Jones of Penylan, Llandygwydd d1844, by Lewis of Cheltenham.