Church of the Holy Martyrs

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in centre of hilltop village, within rectangular burial ground.

Exterior

1865-8 Anglican parish church by R K Penson, in grey snecked rubble stone with grey stone dressings. Slate roofs and crested ridge tiles. Early English style. Nave, S aisle with SW porch tower (incomplete), transeptal gable, and chancel with canted apse and N vestry. Simple lancets without mouldings, three to W front and to S transept gable, otherwise single. Nave gables are coped with cross finials, and NW angle is buttressed from N, while SW tower has single lancet to W, two-step buttresses to NW and SW, the SW buttress set diagonally, and SE octagonal stair tower with S buttress. Pointed arched S door. An overhanging slate pyramid roof caps SW tower that was intended to rise higher (to a recessed bell-stage under a tall broached slate spire). S aisle has single lancet to right of transept gable, which has modern coping, replacing original eaves. Chancel has lancets over moulded sill band, no buttresses, and N vestry with fine battered square chimney. Pointed vestry door.

Interior

Whitewashed with three-bay nave roof, originally open, boarded in 1905; two-bay S arcade with round pillars and two-chamfer pointed arches. Chancel arch on corbelled short half-columns. Panelled chancel roof with plaster between raised ribs. Roll moulded sill-band around and splayed rear arches to chancel windows. Octagonal C19 font on foiled pier. No original pews or pulpit but original sanctuary rails, timber with iron inserts. One stained glass window of c1921 signed ?H G Hiller. In church porch is early Christian lettered memorial stone.

Reason for designation

National Library of Wales: St David's Records contains 1903 faculty for matchboarding the nave roof, E V Collier architect, and 1921 faculty for stained glass.