Church of St. David

Cadw's description

Location

To the south centre of Llanddewi Rhydderch village.

History

The base of the tower may be Norman, i.e. C12. The nave seems too wide not to be a rebuild but part of the original south wall could be retained. It was probably rebuilt and the tower heightened in the late C15 when the porch was also added. The chancel seems to be early C14. The church was restored in 1862-3 by J P Seddon; he rebuilt the north wall, refaced much of the rest and re-roofed as well as providing the internal fittings. The church has been changed little since.

Exterior

Built of random red sandstone rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings, medieval to the tower, most of the rest a Victorian refacing, the top of the tower is timber framed, natural slate roofs, but stone slate to the tower. Nave with south porch, lower chancel, west tower.
The south wall of the nave is in three bays, porch plus two windows. The porch is narrow with a pointed arch and quite steeply pitched gable; small reset lancet window to returns, 2-centred outer arch and 4-centred inner one, the wall plates and ribs of the roof are C15, coped gable with apex cross. There is a small 2-light Perpendicular window with 4-centred heads in a square headed frame close to the porch and a similar 3-light one at the right hand end. Plain roof with coped gables and east apex cross. The north wall has similar opposite windows with a 2-light Victorian one opposite the porch. All these windows are Victorian restorations.
The south wall of the chancel has a small priest's door and a 3-light window as before. The east gable has a window of three stepped and trefoil headed lights of similar Decorated character. Coped gable with apex cross. The north wall has another 3-light window as before.
The tower is square and is quoined and battered to the full height. It has three undifferentiated stages. There is a reconstructed pointed arch west doorway, now blocked, with the top in use as a window. Small rectangular windows on three levels, the top level only has them facing south, west and north. The bell-stage is timber framed and diminishes in three sections. The lower section is clad in vertical oak planks, then a tiled roof, then a continuous oak louvre giving the appearance of pigeon holes, finally a conical roof with wind-vane.

Interior

The interior walls are mostly plastered and painted; the roofs are ceiled with horizontal boarding. Very wide, almost segmental chancel arch chamfered and set on chamfered jambs. Both this and the 2-centred tower arch would appear to be early C14. Victorian waggon roofs, tower screen, altar rails, pews and pulpit. Medieval font, probably C15. Several good inscribed slate monuments of c1800 to the Powell family The oak corner posts round which the tower was built and which support the belfry were not seen at resurvey. East window by John Petts, 1988.

Reason for designation

Included and highly graded for its special interest as a medieval church sensitively restored by J P Seddon, retaining significant early fabric, a distinctive tower, and some good interior features.