Church of St. Nidan (new church)

Cadw's description

Location

Located within a walled churchyard, c750m NW of the old Church of St. Nidan, and c.500m NE of Brynsiencyn, on the N side of the A4080.

History

Built in 1839, designed by John Welch; the original design included a spire on the W tower, but this was not completed. The Chancel was added in 1882, and vestry and organ room added later.

Exterior

Early English style cruciform plan church of pre-archaeological character, comprising embattled W tower, nave and transepts with quadrant vestry and organ room in their angles. Built predominantly of red gritstone rubble with sandstone dressings; main body of church with clasping buttresses at angles. Modern slate roof with stone copings and moulded kneelers, cross at E gable. Nave of 2 bays, single lancet window to each bay; stepped lancet windows at E gable and gable ends of transepts. W tower incorporates the entrance porch in lower part, with pointed arched doorway. Belfry at mid height above a moulded string with louvred lancet openings in recessed panels with corbelled heads. Corbelled upper stage housing clock room with continuous hood mould, pointed over clock faces in E and W sides; embattled parapet above. Single storey circular vestry and organ room with single door in angle and 2 rectangular lights with continuous string above.

Interior

Entrance through lower stage of W tower, leads into porch with steps up to belfry above and entrance to W gallery with pointed arched doorway. Pointed arched doorway to main body of church. Nave of 2 roof bays, single bay transepts and chancel of 3 roof bays, all with exposed beams. Single queen post truss above front of W gallery, with angled braces above and curving braces below, carried down to wall posts supported on moulded corbels. Two king post trusses in the chancel also with braces carried down to wall posts supported on moulded corbels. Walls are plastered, painted with pointed chamfered arches to transepts and chancel. The arcade and chancel arches are notable for their lack of true columns, the arches rising, geometrically, from floor level. Chancel is raised by one step and sanctuary by 2 steps, both with encaustic tiled floors; moulded sanctuary rail on twisted stanchions with floriate brackets. W gallery with panelled front supported on tapering octagonal columns.

Fittings: Pews are of pitch pine, raking pews in the gallery. Pulpit: Semi-octagonal with facing panels of pitch pine; lower part of 3 open quatrefoils, upper part of 3 trefoil headed openings, with corbelled moulded cornice; set on a moulded stone plinth. Font: C13 circular font, moved from the old church c1860. Circular with repeated pattern based on palmette around face; flat rim with triple roll mould and double roll at base; set on modern octagonal plinth with broach stop chamfered angles to column.

Glass: Chancel, E window, 'Faith, Hope and Charity', to Florance George Henry Irby, 5th Baron, of Porthamel, d.1897. S transcept 'Ascension' window to Anna Maria Evans, d.1929 and husband, Richard Evans, Vicar of the Parish.

Miscellaneous: Reliquary chest, moved from the old church, of sandstone, with coped lid and moulded mullions. Now with glass front, locally reputed to hold the relics of St. Nidan.

Bells: Belfry said to contain one C14 bell with the inscription + E : D : A : N in Lombardic capitals, and one C15 bell with the Gothic inscription THOMAS AP MEREDITH; both moved from the old church (RCAHM).

Reason for designation

Included as a small early C19 rural church: a distinctive example of pre-archaeological gothic revival work.