Parish Church of Saint Mary and Saint Bodfan

Cadw's description

Location

On a striking site overlooking the sea to the W of the slightly elevated main road; in a large graveyard behind rubble walls, accessed via a stone gabled lychgate.

History

The site was established for christian worship already in the 6th century by St. Bodfan. The present structure is early C13, and in transitional/Early English style, though the chancel is a remodelling of an earlier one, as evidenced by 2 blocked window openings on the S side. It was apparently built by Hywel ap Meredith ap Cynan, Lord of Ardudwy. The church was restored under the Reverend John Jones 1858- 60, at which date a Transitional style porch and a vestry were added, and the W end heavily buttressed and provided with a bellcote.

Exterior

Rubble-built against the slope of the hill with yellow sandstone dressings and slate roofs. 2-cell rectangular plan with aisled nave and single-storey chancel. Parapeted, stone-coped gables with simple kneelers, those to E with C19 stone crosses; C19 gabled bellcote to W gable. 4 original clerestory lancets to both N and S sides of nave; single-storey aisles with 2 lancets and, on the N side, a continuous roll-moulded, pointed-arched entrance with C19 boarded door and decorative ironwork. Large C19 S porch with steeply-pitched coped gable and buttressing to L and R of triple-moulded entrance arch. This rises from triangular corbels,which taper downwards to short shafts terminating in moulded conical bases. Within the porch the original S entrance: an extremely fine and elaborate pointed arched entrance consisting of 4-tiered compound piers carrying similar compound voussoirs; primitive foliate capitals with simple necking and bases. C19 wooden doors with decorative ironwork. The W end is battered and has a continuous roll-moulded string course and 3 steeply gabled buttresses, all C19 work. 2 tall original lancets.

The chancel is stepped-down and is excavated into the slope of the hill; rubble gable parapet with C19 cross-finial. The chancel has been extended E-wards in the early C13. 3 tall lancets to S side, of which 2 are recent replacements and to R, a replacement of an original2-light window with cusped heads. Pronounced weather coursing atjunction with nave. The E lancet is modern. Single-storey C19 catslidevestry, parapeted and kneelered, with a Romanesque style cylindricaldecorative chimney to the NW corner; conical capping and arched vents.2 further C13 lancets to N side chancel.

Interior

5-bay nave arcade with triple-moulded Gothic arches carried on stout cylindrical columns. Some of these have primitive petalled capitals, whilst others have more developed, though contemporary trefoil stiff-leafed forms; all have moulded octagonal abaci andsimple roll-moulded necking and bases. Mid C15 roof with alternating arched-braced collar trusses and queen-strut trusses; 2 tiers of curved windbraces. C15 octagonal stone font with blind quatrefoil panels and one foliate and one figurative panel; plain octagonal column and moulded base. Slate-slab floor. C19 figurative glass in Decorated style to clerestory windows and W end lancets. C19 oak pews with blind tracery bench-ends. C19 semi-octagonal stone pulpit in simple transitional style on a tiered base.

Wide chancel arch with compound shafts and transitional foliate capitals; plain necking and bases. 4-bay chancel, raised up above nave floor. Good late C15 roof (with C19 restorations); the 3 W bays are of arched-braced collar type, cusped to create quatrefoils and trefoils and with 2 tiers of triple-cusped windbraces. Brattishing to wall plates (crenellated), partly renewed in C19 on N side. The E bay has a late C15 compartmented waggon roof, heavily restored; carved rose bosses and 3 complex blind tracey tiers; modern polychromy. Simple C19 piscina on N wall together with a shouldered-arched entrance to vestry. C19 tiles to altar platform. Fine, continously double-moulded E lancet with original relief-sculpted cross beneath. Further C19 glass to chancel windows. Early C20 panelled reredos in Celtic Arts and Crafts style; designed by John Batten in memmory ofMiles Leonard Davies and carved by Mary Batten, Ada Ridley and NorahBennett. Dedicated April 23rd 1911.

Reason for designation

Included at grade I as a highly important transitional church with good surviving detail of the C13 and C15.