Chest Tomb at St Meugan's Church

Cadw's description

Location

Located within the churchyard on the S side, some 4m N of the churchyard cross.

History

Late C17 heraldic chest tomb commemorating Grace and Simon Parry of Llanrhydd, d.1689 and 1692 respectively. Later inscriptions, to Martha Lewis, d.1788, and Edward Roberts, d.1825, also appear on the monument.

Exterior

Sandstone chest tomb of conventional, rectangular type, with heavy, inscribed tombstone surmounting (and oversailing) an arcaded chest structure. The latter has 3-bay, round-arched blind arcading to the sides with single blind arches to the ends; grooved decoration to the sides and arch spandrels, with prominent grooved imposts. The ends have rosette and heart motifs carved in relief in the spandrels, the W end with a good carved heraldic shield with the quartered arms of the Parrys of Llanrhydd. The tombstone has a continuous relief-carved border with stylised guilloche decoration; its edges have conventional guilloche carving.

Incised memorial inscription to Grace, wife of Simon Parry of Llanrhydd, d.1689. Below, occupying the lower half of the slab, is an inscription to Simon Parry of Llanrhydd, gent, d.1692. At the bottom, below this, is a later inscription to Martha Lewis of Wrexham, d.1788. On the N side, in the central blind arch, is an inscription to Edward Roberts, gent, of Ruthin, d.1825.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a fine C17 heraldic tomb chest having good group value with the Churchyard Cross and the Parish Church of St Meugan.