Church of St Justinian

Cadw's description

Location

About 1km E of Scleddau, beyond farmhouse at end of track beginning on E side of A40, near old quarry, then across field to churchyard.

History

Church of medieval origins much rebuilt in early C19, possibly c1834, and minimally repaired thereafter. In poor condition in 1849 requiring new pews and pulpit, new entrance doorway (and closure of old) and new windows. James James of Llanychaer made plans for £130, but nothing may have been done as repairs were again proposed in 1869 under F. Wehnert of Milford for £300-400 including new roofs, seating, pulpit and desk. An advertisement for tenders to reroof in 1906 was placed by H. Thomas of Haverfordwest.

Exterior

Church, rubble stone with slate roofs, nave and chancel of near equal lengths, S transept, W bellcote. Coped gables, windowless W end. Small gabled bellcote with stone voussoirs to arched bell-opening. Two N windows with stone voussoirs and small-paned sashes originally 12-pane. Plain boarded nave S door with Preseli stone voussoirs. S transept has broad low gable, pointed broad S window with small-paned sash window with Georgian Gothic glazing bars, slate-hung gable. Squint in angle to chancel has straight diagonal wall and slate roof. Chancel has rough masonry and narrow window to centre of each side with oak lintel, and small-paned timber glazing with arched head. E window with timber lintel, timber glazing and stone sill, square head with arched leaded light.

Interior

Whitewashed plaster walls, red small quarry tiles to floors. Nave has 5 C19 collar trusses with wishbone struts above collars. Low pointed plastered chancel arch with rough imposts to piers. Corbel on S wall to right of S transept arch. Whitewashed plastered pointed stone vault to S transept, some 3m wide and 2.5 m deep, with broad squint passage on E wall through to chancel. Square headed reveal to S window. Squint has plastered vault and rough impost on left side, asymmetrical arch into chancel. Long chancel has utilitarian pine roof with exposed undersides of slates. Long window each side with timber small-paned glazing, square-headed reveal to E window with arch-headed leaded light in timber surround. Medieval square font with shallow rim and conical underside. Later C19 plain pews. Plain C19 panelled timber pulpit. single step sanctuary with cast-iron C19 scrolled standards to rail. Square head to E window with timber window, the glazing arch headed with coloured leaded panes.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as an isolated church of medieval origins remarkably untouched by Victorian Gothic restoration.