Church of St Mary

Cadw's description

Location

In the centre of Penmark village on the north side of the road to Barry.

History

Late C12/early13 origin, with the features mainly C15. The tower was added in the C15. There was a restoration in 1860 when it was re-fenestrated, and another in 1893 by Seddon and Coates Carter when the tower was repaired and the interior refitted. There has been some refurnishing in the C20 but otherwise little change.

Exterior

The church is built of fairly random limestone rubble with the quoins strengthened with dressed stones, some of which is Victorian rebuilding; Welsh slate roofs. Nave, chancel, south porch, unbuttressed West tower. The south wall of the nave has a centrally placed porch with steep coped gable and cross, pointed arch external and internal doorways, fine 8-panel C18 door with raised-and-fielded panels; the internal doorway has two chamfered orders, the outer one with broach stops. The porch roof has decorated panelled wallplates. To the left of the porch is a 2-light Victorian window with trefoiled lights and quatrefoil between. To the right is a Perpendicular window with hollow chamfer mullions. Coped gables and apex cross on east gable. The roofline against the tower shows that it has been altered, while to the right it is almost in-line with the chancel roof. The chancel south wall has two 2-light pointed arch windows which have Perpendicular tracery, possibly fitted into an earlier frame. East gable with large 3-light Perpendicular window, coped gable with cross. The north wall of the chancel is blind. The nave has a slight projection for the rood stair with a small rectangular window with dripmould. Large 4-light Perpendicular window in Bath stone with king mullion, finally a small 2-light Bath stone window with cusping.
Three-stage tower with plinth and strong batter, stair in south-east corner. West doorway in pointed arch, modern door, 3-light Perpendicular window above. Plain opening on south face, 2-light openings to the bell-chamber on each face, battlemented parapet. The tower was repaired in 1893.

Interior

The interior is plastered and painted except for the dressed stones. The plain pointed chancel arch with chamfered imposts is the earliest feature. Fine and tall tower arch with double wave moulding is C13, also the tub font. Waggon roof four panels across with light timber divisions to nave, Victorian boarded roof of 1860 to chancel. Late C17/early C18 communion rail with turned balusters. Early C20 oak benches and oak and brass candelabra. Late Jacobean octagonal pulpit, probably contemporary with the altar rail. A number of good C18 wall monuments, especially those to the Jones family of Fonmon Castle.

Reason for designation

Included and highly graded as a medieval church retaining good character.