Lychgate and Churchyard Walls, including Sundial Base, at St Dyfnog's Church

Cadw's description

Location

Enclosing the churchyard on the N and E sides, the lychgate forming the entrance to the churchyard on the N side, opposite the porch.

History

Late C19 perpendicular-style lychgate, probably contemporary with the church's restoration under Arthur Baker, 1879-1880, during which the early Tudor N porch, the obvious inspiration for the lychgate, also underwent restoration and embellishment. The churchyard walls are largely C18 and C19 in their present form, and incorporate a sandstone sundial base at the N corner. This is probably of second-quarter C18 date; the weathered initials J.J. may refer to Jane Jones, widow of Maurice Jones of Llanrhaeadr Hall, who founded the almshouses in 1729.

Exterior

Large Perpendicular-style timber-framed lychgate with adjoining churchyard walls. The lychgate has supporting flank walls of quarry-dressed limestone, with a slated, timber-framed superstructure. This is supported on two moulded, arched-braced collar trusses, which rise up from the ground level, their lower sections partly embedded within the flank walls. These have quatrefoil and trefoil cusping above their collars. The roof verges are particularly deep and are supported by intermediate braced collar trusses with crenellated capitals at the springing; curved bracing to the top and bottom of these and cusped windbraces between the purlins. The bargeboards are cusped and have ogee tracery. Simple oak-panelled half-gates with open upper sections and curved ends.

The walls adjoin the lychgate and enclose the churchyard on the N and E sides. They are of limestone rubble construction with triangular coping stones and reach a maximum height of 1.8m at the NW corner. Here the wall slopes up slightly and terminates in a plain C19 iron gate at the junction with the almshouse forecourt wall. In the centre of the eastern stretch is a plain C19 iron gate. At the SE corner of the churchyard the wall returns westwards in two near-parallel sections flanking a stream which borders the churchyard on the W side, and which is taken under the road via a culvert. The churchyard stretch drops down after some 10m to form a revetment; the opposing stretch curves around before terminating after some 6m.

The sundial base has a sandstone plinth surmounted by a 2-stage sandstone finial. This has is approximately 0.6m high, the lower section with chamfered sides, the upper cylindrical. At the top is an abacus with chamfered corners bearing attachments of a (presumed) former sundial; bears the weathered initials 'J.J'.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a fine late C19 Perpendicular-style lychgate with good churchyard walls and associated sundial base.

Group value with other listed items at St Dyfnog's Church.