Church of St Patrick

Cadw's description

Location

On the S side and sited in a round churchyard above the A485.

History

A medieval church on a hilltop site, in existence by the C13, the date of the font. When Richard Fenton visited in 1804 he noted the double bellcote and arch to a former N transept. The church was restored in 1833-4 by Thomas Jones, and substantially restored again in 1878 by R J Withers, architect of London. The present fenestration, roofs and fittings belong to 1878.

Exterior

A simple Gothic style church comprising nave with lower and narrower chancel and gabled W porch, of rubble stone with freestone dressings and slate roofs behind coped gables. The porch has a pointed doorway with wave moulding. The W end of the nave has a simple double bellcote with saddleback roof. The nave is battered at the base. Its S wall has 2 pairs of cusped lights, and a similar pair is in the chancel S wall. The E window is 3 stepped cusped lights. On the N side of the chancel is a vestry under an outshut roof. It has a square-headed 2-light N window, and a pointed W doorway with continuous chamfer and boarded door with strap hinges. On the E side of the vestry are foundations of a former boiler house. The nave N wall has 2 pairs of cusped lights similar to the S but not aligned with them, and towards the E side is a wide blocked 2-centred arch, probably for a transept or chapel.

Interior

The porch has a plastered tunnel vault and stone benches. The W doorway has a continuous chamfer and double boarded doors with studs and strap hinges. The nave has a 4-bay arched-brace roof. Inside the W door is a round-headed medieval stoup, roughly hewn. A low arched recess in the N wall is the blocked opening visible outside. The chancel arch is medieval, a plain plastered pointed arch with single chamfer. In the S respond is a doorway and stone steps to a former rood loft. The 2-bay chancel roof is similar to the nave. Chancel windows have segmental rere arches with roll mouldings, and the E window has a blind quatrefoil frieze at sill level forming a reredos. The N vestry doorway has a roll moulding and boarded door with strap hinges. A cusped aumbry is in the N wall, and 2-centred sedilia in the S wall.

The font is early C13, a roughly hewn round bowl with carved heads to the cardinal directions. It stands on a round C20 stem and base. Other internal fittings are mainly of 1878, and include plain pews and polygonal pulpit with pierced quatrefoils. Flanking the E window are painted metal sheets with the Ten Commandments in Welsh, with the Apostle''''''''s Creed and Lord''''''''s Prayer in similar style flanking the chancel arch. The chancel N wall has a simple slate memorial tablet by D Mainwaring of Carmarthen, commemorating Lady Sarah Champion de Crespigny (d 1825). The arched recess in the N wall of the nave has a brass tablet commemorating restoration of the church in 1878. Only the E window has stained glass, the Crucifixion, of 1922.

Reason for designation

Listed as a small rural parish church retaining good medieval and C19 detail.