Lychgate and churchyard walls at the Church of St Marcella

Cadw's description

Location

Located a short distance to the S of the church's S porch, the walls defining the churchyard.

History

Neo-Perpendicular lychgate probably erected in 1908 at the time of a general restoration of the church. The churchyard walls are mostly C19 or early C20, though the section E of the Lychgate, and curving around to define the northern perimeter of the churchyard, is earlier.

Exterior

Large Perpendicular-style lychgate consisting of a pegged oak superstructure with shingle roof on a chamfered base of tooled limestone ashlar. The lychgate takes the form of two joined spere trusses with open framing and curved bracing to the sides. Single-bay plan with wide depressed arches to its main (N and S) faces. Each is hollow chamfered and has finely-carved Tudor rose and foliate bosses; blind tracery and foliate carving to the spandrels. Tie beams with crenellated brattishing and relief-carved Welsh (N) and English (S) inscriptions in Gothic lettering. The gables are open-framed and braced and have deep verges with moulded and cusped bargeboards. Moulded oak half-gates to the S (front) with carved post heads and curved top rails; simple decorative ironwork. There is a further, similar single gate to the L.

Adjoining the lychgate are the churchyard walls. These are of local limestone rubble and rise to a height of between 1.5m and 2m. The eastern stretch extends for some 30m before curving around to the N to continue as a revetment for a similar distance. Here there is a break with a flight of 6 modern concrete steps, giving access to the raised churchyard. Beyond this the wall continues northwards as a low rubble revetment. The main stretch of walling has irregular cock and hen copings; the northern stretch, beyond the steps has a mixture of cock and hen and slab copings; all is much overgrown. The stretch to the W of the lychgate is of random-coursed, rough-dressed rubble. The first few metres have triangular copings and curve convexly to terminate in a flat, shallow buttress. Beyond this the wall is of conventional type with neat cock and hen copings. This section extends for some 100m parallel with the road before turning a right-angle beyond an opening with plain square piers. At this point the wall continues northwards to define the western churchyard perimeter.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a fine early C20 Perpendicular-style lychgate with associated rubble churchyard walls.

Group value with the Church of St Marcella.