Church of St Cian

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Llangian village in large churchyard on E side of road.

History

Anglican parish church first recorded in C13 but rebuilt in the C15 with surviving C15 roof. Heavily restored with new windows and vestry by Henry Kennedy in 1858 for R Lloyd Edwards of Nanhoron. Kennedy's W rose window has been removed in the C20 and the timber W porch was added c1906.

Exterior

Parish church, rubble stone with C19 squared grey rubble stone to W end, single slate roof with coped gables and C19 W bellcote. C19 NE gabled vestry and early C20 timber W porch. Side walls are partly medieval, some boulder footings on S. W end has massive base stones to corners. C19 red sandstone kneelers to gable and a brown stone band across. Old photographs show a small W rose window since replaced by a chequer-pattern cross. Bellcote has recessed pointed arch with moulded shafts, coping and cross finial. Porch is large, enclosed, timber-frame with timber panels and red tile roof. Tudor-arched entry with light each side, continued as window-band on N and S sides, the mullions bobbin-turned; decorative timber work in gable and bargeboards. Tiny lancet in wall each side of porch. Nave N has 3 small C19 lancets, 2 in brown stone, the right one in grey. Chancel N vestry has cross-gabled cap to tall stone N chimney, W shouldered-headed door and N 2 small lancets, E lean-to. Chancel E C19 pointed 2-light with roundel and column shafts. S wall has 3 lancets to chancel and nave. Within porch is pointed shafted W doorway with hoodmould and double ledged door with strap hinges.

Interior

Whitewashed walls. Late medieval roof of ten trusses with cusped double windbracing. Arch-braced collar-trusses with varied treatment of the apex, five with cusping to angle struts, the eighth further enriched. It is suggested that the last 2 are plainer as they would have been concealed by a ceilure or canopy. C19 wall-posts and corbels. Plain octagonal font dated 1638, chamfered below to octagonal shaft. Fittings: C19 stalls and poppyhead pews of c1860. Plain 9-bay oak screen 1886. Pulpit and eagle lectern in oak c1896. Three mid to later C19 brass coronae. Monuments: E wall left Timothy Edwards d1780, with naval trophies, by C Harris of London; right, Capt Richard Lloyd Edwards, killed 1854, scroll by W T Hale of London. Chancel N neo-Grec tapering plaque to Col Richard Edwards d1830, by B Baker of Liverpool. In vestry slate plaque to Griffith Jones of Bodwi d1787. Chancel S plaques to Richard Dickinson d1828 and Jane Edwards d1826. Marble urn memorial to Catherine Edwards d1811. Nave N mid C19 neo-Grec monument to various Edwards' d1704-70, by W T Hale of London.

Reason for designation

Included as a restored late medieval church retaining a fine roof.