Parish Church of St Thomas

Cadw's description

Location

At west of the village of Penybontfawr, in a large stone-walled churchyard.

History

Built in 1855 to the design of R.K. Penson, architect. St Thomas's church has features suggesting first thoughts towards what became the design of the more elaborate church of the Holy Trinity, Llanelli, completed by Penson in 1857. Penson was County Surveyor of both Montgomeryshire and Carmarthenshire.

Exterior

A Victorian Gothic church built in uncoursed axe-dressed stone with freestone quoins and dressings, with slate roofs and tile ridges. The church consists of nave and chancel of slightly unequal height, a tower and spire at the junction of the nave and chancel with a diagonally set stairs turret at its south west corner. To the south of the nave is the porch. To the north of the chancel are a vestry and boiler room (rendered) under a catslide continuation of the chancel roof, with a stone and brick chimney. The nave and chancel roofs and the spire have iron finials.

The windows have simple Decorated tracery. A string course at sill level unites the windows of the south and east of the chancel and forms a moulding over the chancel south door. Three-light Geometric east window with a label mould and block terminals. One- or two-light chancel windows with slight cusping and label moulds. The nave has one- or two-light windows to north, west and south with simple tracery and label moulds. The tower has a south lancet window with a roundel and label mould above. Single belfry openings to each face, that to south now occupied by a clock face; slate-hung brooch spire.

Simple south porch to nave with equilateral-arched outer opening and inner doorway. Chancel south door also with equilateral arch.

Interior

The interior is strongly articulated into nave and chancel. A large arch also opens from the nave into the base of the south tower, which although in the position of a transept does not function as an annexe to the nave.

The nave is plain with a boarded ceiling in five bays supported on arched trusses. Red and black quarry tile floor. Pews in two blocks, pulpit at left and prayer desk at right, all in simple Gothic style. Two of the nave windows have stained glass, one 1892, the other 1955.

The chancel and sanctuary also have a boarded ceiling and a floor of red and black quarry tiles. Carved Gothic choirstalls and altar rails. Two text boards each side of the east window, the Commandments to left and the Apostles' Creed and Lord's Prayer to right. The east window has glass of 1855 by Hardman, Birmingham; coloured margins, yellow quarries with leaf features.

Reason for designation

A finely composed early Victorian church by R. K. Penson, the County Surveyor.