Church of St Paul

Cadw's description

Location

In a walled churchyard in the centre of the village.

History

Built 1874-6 by John Hill, architect, its foundation stone laid by Mrs J Strutt Bankes of Soughton Hall in 1874. The font was given in 1907 by the Duke of Westminster.

Exterior

Lancet style church comprising nave and apsidal chancel under a single roof, of snecked stone with freestone dressings, sill band and plinth band, a plain stone eaves cornice and slate roof. A gabled W bellcote has a single bell. The nave S wall has a gabled porch set back from the W end, which has a coped gable on moulded kneelers. Its side walls have pairs of lancets and angle buttresses with gabled caps. Inside are double boarded doors with diagonal boarding. To the R are 3 pairs of lancets, and a buttress with gabled cap between nave and chancel. The chancel has an inserted pair of lancets in the S wall, below which is a memorial tablet of 1924 with Great War memorial inscription. The apse has 5 lancets, and on the E side is a tablet with Latin cross in relief below the window.

On the N side of the chancel is a vestry with 2 lancets in its N gable end, and a small window above with hood mould continuous with a moulded string course. Its W wall has a doorway with lancet arch, and a door with diagonal boarding and strap hinges. The nave N wall has 4 pairs of lancets. The W wall has angle buttresses and a pair of tall lancets, above and between which is a small round light. Below the W window is a foundation stone with inscription. Below the tablet is a boiler house set below ground level.

Interior

The nave is 5 bays with narrow half bays at the E and W ends, and has moulded crown-post trusses on wall posts and corbels, and with painted inscriptions to the tie beams. The high chancel arch has 2 orders of chamfer and no capitals. The apsidal chancel has arched trusses on corbels, and a filleted string course below the windows. A lancet arch in the N wall is now infilled by organ pipes. The N doorway to the vestry, with diagonal-boarded door, is at the E end of the nave.

The ornate Perpendicular style font is marble, with an octagonal bowl, sunk panels with relief carvings of a cross, Chi-ro monogram, IHS monogram and a dove, alternating with symbols of the evangelists. Winged angels are carved on the underside of the bowl. The stem has blind Gothic arches. The font is surrounded by diaper-work black and white tiles, wainscot commemorating Jane Edwards of Penyparc (d 1925), while affixed to the W wall is a medallion with a bust of the first Duke of Westminster and commemorative inscription.

The polygonal pulpit has fielded panels with relief foliage to the upper tier. A chancel screen is of 7 unequal lights and slender buttresses with attached pinnacles. It has panels below open lights with pierced Gothic tracery above the arches, a relief inscription and brattishing. The communion rail has cast iron uprights with scrollwork and a wooden handrail. The chancel is laid with encaustic tiles. A reredos has blind Gothic panelling and brattishing, and was given in memory of Rev Edward Evans, vicar of the parish 1916-23. The pews have simple mouldings and the choir stalls have open arcaded fronts and moulded ends.

The chancel has 3 windows depicting Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension by Ballantine of c1865, possibly brought from another church. The W window of 1910 depicts the Annunciation, said to be by Jones & Willis.

Reason for designation

Listed as a simple high-Victorian village church with good interior detail and associations with prominent local landowners.