Christ Church

Cadw's description

Location

In a walled churchyard on the W side of the village, on the N side of a minor road between Rhes-y-cae and Lixwm.

History

Built in 1846 by Ambrose Poynter, architect, to serve the growing mining community in the area.

Exterior

Simple Gothic style church comprising nave and chancel under a single roof, of coursed rubble and slate roof behind coped gables. A gabled W bellcote has a single bell in an arched opening. Low angle buttresses are of dressed stone. Openings all have plain chamfers. The S doorway is set back from the W end of the nave, and has double doors with scrolled strap hinges. To its L is a single lancet, with 4 lancets further R. A lower gabled vestry is attached to the S side of the chancel, which has a brick end stack. Its doorway in the W wall has a shouldered lintel and door with strap hinges. In its S wall is a single lancet.

The chancel E wall has 3 stepped lancets and a sill band. On the N side nave and chancel have 8 lancets. The W wall has lancets with sill bands flanking a central buttress.

Interior

The nave has an 8-bay king-post roof with diagonal struts, and a cornice with painted inscription in Welsh. A panelled screen is below the westernmost truss. An added late C19 chancel screen is of 7 lights with panelling below open cusped lights. The chancel has glazed encaustic tiles and Gothic reredos with blind arches.

The octagonal freestone font stands on a square base. The polygonal panelled pulpit is integral with the chancel screen. The open arcaded wooden communion rail, an integral feature of the original church, has pierced spandrels. The pews and choir stalls have simple mouldings. In the E window is a figure of Christ as the Good Shepherd by Ward & Hughes of London, dated 1884.

Reason for designation

Listed as a church in the simple Gothic style favoured in the second quarter of the C19 before the ecclesiological revival of the mid century.