Church of St Cynon

Cadw's description

Location

Situated some 2.25 km NNE of Ffostrasol, on S side of minor road running E.

History

1820-22 church, restored and extended 1929 by W.D. Caroe, for £1,200.

Exterior

Rubble stone with slate single roof, and stone W bellcote. Nave and chancel with N organ chamber and S vestry. Chancel, organ chamber, vestry and window tracery of 1929. Simple low exterior with windowless N wall apart from 1929 circular pulpit window to right of projection for organ chamber, windowless with roof carried down over. W bellcote has single arched opening and arched head. Roundel window over W door and small hoodmoulded window to left, rectangular. Door is in shallow projection with cambered arch and slated gable. Panelled ledged door with iron strap hinges. S side has two 2-light flat-headed late Gothic style windows, a lean-to vestry with E window, and one 2-light chancel S window. E end has 3 narrow cusped lancets. Chancel, vestry and organ chamber roofs are carried on corbels at wall-head angles.

Interior

Simple roughcast whitewashed interior with plain round chancel arch and attractive roofs. Nave roof of four collar trusses probably original but embellished with applied planking moulded at edges. Corbels and short vertical timbers under each truss. Chancel has similar 2-bay roof, but ceiled at collar level and embellished with square panels in E bay. Nave SE moulded square-headed doorway to vestry, dated 1930, with good panelled door. Chancel arch N is rounded for pulpit access. Two steps into chancel, one to sanctuary, one to altar, steps of solid slate slab. Slate paving. Low and small N organ recess with cambered head. Three E lights set high in cambered-headed splayed surrounds. S piscina with shouldered arched head. Fittings: All of 1929 except font and later C19 pine pews. Simple grey stone medieval bowl font (of several joined pieces) with roll-mould banding, on tapering rectangular 1929 shaft, each face subtly moulded to a shallow wave profile, oak font-cover. Fine 3-sided oak pulpit 1929 with cross on canted centre panel, blank tracery under top rail. Chamfered base and stone steps up. Reading desk with traceried front. Altar rails are two elegant oak kneelers, simply detailed with uprights each end swept down and out in curve to frame kneeling-board. Simple open altar table with minimal Gothic detail to corner brackets.

Reason for designation

Listed as a very good example of Caroe's simple and understated restoration of an early C19 church, good fittings by Caroe.