Church of St Ffraid

Cadw's description

Location

In a sloping churchyard rising from Nant Rhych which forms its N and E border; in the centre of the hamlet; main entrance from E.

History

Tower probably C13. Nave windows late medieval. Norman porch arch was found in 1840, reused in an almshouse at Margam Abbey and brought to church by Mrs Charlotte Traherne, rector's wife and sister of CRM Talbot of Margam. Newman believes the inner S doorway and possibly chancel arch may also be imports, the latter much restored. E window transferred from the demolished chapel of St Mary at Sant-y-Nill nearby to N.

Exterior

Medieval church. Plan of W tower, nave, S porch, chancel and NE vestry, stepped up slope. Built mostly of random rubble, some roughly dressed quoins, ashlar dressings; Welsh slate roof with small cruciform finials, coping to gables. Tall W tower has small saddleback roof with kneelers and small trefoil-headed louvred lights to belfry and above, slit lights below; pointed arched chamfered and stopped W doorway with hoodmould, small niche with cross above, no buttresses. S porch has an incongruous Romanesque doorway of 3-orders with zigzag and shuttlecock mouldings and slender detached shafts with trumpet capitals; inner arch with attached shafts and scallop capitals. S doorway to the church is also Romanesque, tall, round-arched, with gable and enriched with fishscale motif. C19 porch roof with wind-braces, double boarded door with large decorative hinges. Nave windows on both sides are chunky paired lights with cusped or cinquefoil heads within rectangular frames with glazed spandrels and square hoods under relieving arches, all C19. Chancel has Tudor-arched S priests' doorway, cinquefoil sanctuary window and 3-light E window with Perpendicular-style tracery, centre light partly blocked by the added niche (see interior). Vestry of coursed rock-faced stone.

Interior

Interior is rendered. C19 arch-braced timber nave roof in 6 bays, the principal rafters on corbels, moulded wallplate. Tower has a coffered ceiling supported on corbels. Wide Norman arch with diapered impost and slender attached shafts with scallop capitals. No change in level between nave and chancel. Chancel is shallow, floor of encaustic tiles; sanctuary with polychrome altar; late medieval stone tabernacle in front of E window with a gilded Virgin and Child, C16 Venetian, installed in memory of John Cory (died 17.5.1939) in 1957. Stained glass roundels, C16 Swiss or German, and fragment of angel set in E window in 1957. C17 wall monument. Stone pulpit with blind Perpendicular-style panelling. Font is plain and octagonal probably C15.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II as a much-restored medieval church, whose fabric incorporates Norman features introduced during a C19 restoration.