Church of St Ishmael

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a wooded valley leading to Monk Haven, some 700m SW of the centre of the village of St Ishmaels.

History

Medieval parish church, possibly C14 with C15 or C16 W masonry projection carrying bellcote. The original church may have been the nave with chancel and transepts added. S transept was Sandy Haven House aisle. Some works are supposed to have been carried out about 1660. Restored 1853 under superintendence of Mr Warren-Davis of Trewarren, when roofs were renewed and also some windows. In 1884 it was restored again by D.E. Thomas of Haverfordwest, with new interior fittings. Sir Stephen Glynne described the church in 1856, noting that there was a Dec. chancel window of 2 lights, restored ancient windows in the transepts and one C15 Perp window, all except the Perp chancel S window appear to be of the C19 or C20.

Exterior

Parish church, rubble stone with slate roofs. Low spreading outline. Nave, W bellcote-tower, transepts and chancel with squints both sides. W end has added broad bellcote tower with mid C19 Y-tracery 2-light W window, set high, and unusually large plain ridge-topped double-bellcote. 2 tall plain pointed bell-openings. Plain single small lancet each side of tower. Nave has generally late C19 or C20 2-light Perp style windows with flat heads and hoodmoulds, 2 on N side flanking blocked N door, 3 on S side with porch between first and second. Porch is broad and low with red brick elliptical arch to entry and 1853 thin roof trusses. C19 S door. S transept has heavily detailed C19 2-light S window with quatrefoil in head. Small W single light, E C19 2-light. Squint to chancel has canted wall, and one small square-headed light. Chancel has S side late medieval 2-light with flat head. E window is C19, matching S transept S, 2-light. Chancel N has one C20 lancet, squint has canted wall and one small lancet. N transept has N window matching E window and S transept S, one C19 E lancet, and one C19 W single-light with flat head and hoodmould. Blocked low arched openings in transept W and E walls.

Interior

Plastered whitewashed walls, thin arch-braced collar trusses to boarded roofs 1853. Pointed whitewashed chancel arch with seat each side, low round whitewashed arch to N transept, timber lintel to S transept. Nave has low blocked N door, stoup by S door. Pews and pulpit of 1884. Pulpit, carved by G.R. Jones of Haverfordwest, is ornate, painted ashlar, with marble-shafted columns to open front. Fine C13 font, square whitewashed bowl, scallopped, on squat round shaft with rope mould bands top and bottom, and square base. Font is raised on large patterned-tiled step. By the font are inscribed stones of various dates, including C9 or C10 lower part of large cross slab with plait-work each side of cross; small slab with cross, the arm-junctions rounded and one equal-armed within a circle, with cusping. N transept has Gothic timber vestry screen, apparently moved from elsewhere, with curious coloured-transfer C19 pictures on glass panels. Squint has rough whitewashed vault of several transverse arches infilled between. Niche to right of window. S transept has broad cambered-headed recesses on S wall and W wall, square-headed recess in left angle of S wall. S window has stained glass pelican in top quatrefoil light. Squint has cambered arches to transept and chancel, C19 boarding to lean-to roof. Chancel has good encaustic-tile floor by Minton & Hollins, 1884, brass rails and stained glass E window, 2-light, Resurrection and Ascension, 1886.

Reason for designation

A substantially medieval church, reroofed and refitted in the C19, with characteristic Pembrokeshire W bellcote and squints.