All Saints Church

Cadw's description

Location

Isolated building on W side of Mochdre, within a churchyard.

History

Built in 1867 by Edward Haycock Junior of Shrewsbury, on the foundations of an earlier church. Original nave and chancel roof was retained, with new hammerbeams and carved angels. The major benefactors are recorded in several gifts: the west window was donated by Miss Hamer of Glanhafren Hall; the east window, and the angels and bosses of the roof, donated by Major Drew. The font was also donated in 1867. Timber louvres were added to the bellcote in 1953, and a new slate roof was added in 1980. During the demolition of the previous building rood figures of Christ and Mary were found, which are now in the National Museum of Wales. The vestry was added later.

Exterior

Perpendicular style. Nave, chancel, S porch, N vestry, W bellcote. Random rubble with ashlar dressings, and slate roof. Bellcote has a steep gable with ornate Celtic cross on the ridge. Bell is housed in an opening with a lancet arch, which has weatherboarding and louvres. Gables of the nave and chancel have dressed stone copings. Chancel gable has a Celtic cross on the ridge. Nave and chancel buttressed, except E wall which is splayed at the base. Three-light Perpendicular style W window. E window of 3 lights in Perpendicular style with hood mould and foliage stops. N and S walls have generally 3-light windows under square heads. Coped, gabled porch, with a Celtic cross on the ridge. Its E and W walls have a pair of cusped lights under square heads, and with segmental rere-arches. The doorway is triple-chamfered with no capitals, and has a hood mould with foliage stops. S doorway has a single order of keeled shafts, running up into the arch without capitals. There is a wooden angel above the door. The door has decorative ironwork. Vestry is gabled, with a doorway on the north side. A stack rises from the nave roof here, of 3 stepped stages, the upper stage of brick.

Interior

Interior is dominated by the 7-bay nave and chancel roof. Arch-braced trusses with cusped diagonal struts. Each bay has 3 tiers of windbraces forming quatrefoils, with boarded panels behind, between moulded ribs. The 3 eastern bays have ribs embossed with a variety of foliage designs. Rafters stand on a moulded cornice, beneath which are 4 posts to each bay, with boarding behind, standing on the moulded wall plate.

Principals stand on hammer beams with carved angels on the ends. Beneath the hammer beams are tall bracketed wall posts standing on corbels of alternately male and female heads. Interior of the building is plastered white. East window, by Clayton & Bell, shows the Crucifixion. W window, by Wailes, commemorates the Hamer sisters of Glanhafren. Hexagonal font in Perpendicular style with a panelled stem and Tudor roses in quatrefoils around the bowl.

Reason for designation

Listed as a small rural Victorian church of special interest for the retention of its ornate C15 roof.