Church of St Mary

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in the centre of Crickadarn village, on W side of village square, in circular raised churchyard.

History

Anglican parish church, C14 origins with C15 to early C16 tower. Restored in 1867, and in 1895 when the E window was restored, 2 chancel windows added and the other windows enlarged, and the floors repaved with gravestones. Shortly after, c1906 more extensive work was needed, when the dramatically leaning walls illustrated by Mrs Dawson were buttressed, and internal alterations made including the vestry under the tower and the opening of the tower musicians' gallery, to designs by Clough Williams-Ellis, architect. Presumably the stone porch gable was then altered to expose the medieval truss within. There was a rood loft described by Theophilus Jones c1805 as having `4 or 5 pillars supporting a carved front representing cinquefoils..too heavy..too much wood in it..the pillars..like straight poles and do not attempt to imitate any of the 5 known orders of architecture'. The tower was repaired in 1982, rest of church in 1993.

Exterior

Church, rubble stone with stone tiled roofs, nave and chancel under one roof, 56 ft. by 23 ft., with S porch and large 4-stage W tower. Tower has NE stair tower, high plinth, moulded course over first stage, bull-nosed mouldings over next two, two-light bell-lights, another bull-nosed course under embattled parapet, slightly higher battlements to NE stair tower. Small S ground floor rectangular light. Nave has S porch to left, rubble stone side walls and C15 oak trusses with quatrefoil and trefoil cusping, the one to front with arch-bracing below tie-beam, the one at back without the bracing, and the one between with arch-braced collar and trefoil to apex. Two tiers of foiled wind-braces. Rough red stone stoup on left side, shelf on right. Pointed S door. To right, a big Perp style 2-light flat-headed window, apparently all C19, then a central blocked chamfered pointed priest's door, then end of tie beam which pierces wall both N and S, and then another similar 2-light Perp-style window. C15 segmental pointed E window, 3-light with ogee tracery. Four memorials affixed to E wall. Chancel N has 2 lancets with red stone heads, possibly medieval, rest renewed. Nave N has one hollow-chamfer lancet, also possibly medieval.

Interior

Plastered interior with 3-sided plastered ceiling. About 1906 ceiling was raised at W end to expose tower first floor opening which was made into musicians' gallery with early C18 style timber balcony on console brackets. Broad chamfered depressed arch to opening. Tower arch below is low broad, chamfered Tudor-arch. Chamfered segmental-pointed doorway to tower stair to right. Tower has plastered vault and tower base is subdivided by wall of c1906 to vestry with oval light with stone voussoirs over segmental-pointed door. In nave, a small NW fireplace of c1906, cambered arches with stone voussoirs to S windows and S door, pointed arch to priest's door. A large tie beam truss with collar at ceiling level and zig-zag bracing between may be a remnant of lost rood screen, it now delineates chancel.
Font: C14-C15, octagonal chamfered below, on broader round shaft and C19 plinth. C19 pitch-pine pulpit. Attractive timber latticed altar rails, possibly of c1906.
Memorials: fine floor slab in front of altar to William ap David Lloyd ap Thomas (d 1607). Chancel S wall armorial slab to Lewis Lloyd (d 1649) and Margaret Lloyd (d 1680); floor slab to Richard Cardwell, `geographer and land-surveyor' (d 1774). Good series of late C18 to early C19 painted carved plaques by local craftsmen: on S wall: William Price of Pantyneuadd (d 1809), by Hughes; Thomas Prosser of Bailie (d 1808); Ann Kingsey of Pencraig (d 1818); Matthew Kinsey of Caeau (d 1829), by J. Morgan; John Kinsey of Pencraig (d 1795); Thomas Prichard of Rhiwe Llandevalle (d 1826), by Hughes. W end William Williams of Penyrwrlodd (d 1779); Ann Lewis of Pentremole (d 1795); Elizabeth Davis of Penyrwrlodd (d 1797), by James; Humphrey Price of Pantyneuadd (d 1785), by James. N wall: Thomas Davis, surgeon (d 1806), by Hughes; Hugh Williams of Lwinpoll (d 1805); Phoebe Jones (d 1794), by Hughes; Jeremiah Kinsey of Pantygoli (d 1786) by Games; David Morgan of Pentremol (d 1788) (with two rustic angels); Richard Pritchard of Rhiwe (d 1780) (with 2 cherub heads); Margaret Price (d 1820), (oval with painted marbling), by Thomas of Brecon. In vestry painted benefaction board of 1830.

Reason for designation

Graded II* primarily for the late medieval tower and characterful interior with post-medieval plastered ceiling and extensive set of locally-made memorials.