Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Church of St Issel
Merlin's Bridge, Pembrokeshire, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Religious, Ritual and Funerary
- Date of designation
- 11 March 2004
- Locality
- Haroldston
- Town
- Haverfordwest
- Community
- Merlin's Bridge
- Unitary authority
- Pembrokeshire
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.78776, -4.95305
- Cadw reference
- 82630
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1608 "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
In a rural location on the W bank of the Cleddau Wen some 100m SE of Lower Haroldston Farm.
History
Small church dedicated to St Ishmael or St Issel, medieval origins restored in C19. The medieval church was recorded as being in ruins in the late C16 by George Owen and was presumably rebuilt in the early C17 for the Perrots of Haroldston, owners to 1763. It was said to have had a small gallery recently erected in the Topographical Dictionary of 1844, to have been re-pewed in 1854 and repaired in 1864 for Captain Brady of Fernhill with new pointed chancel window, and some fittings. Restored 1893-4 by E. H. Lingen Barker, G. R. Jones, builder. New windows, doorway, roofs, pews and stalls, floors, and internal plaster.
Exterior
Anglican parish church, rubble stone with slate roofs, renewed 2002. Small with nave, W bellcote, S porch, and chancel. Ashlar dressings to C19 narrow lancet windows and doors, with hoodmoulds and carved stops. W end single lancet and plain rubble bellcote with pointed opening and shallow-gabled top. Single bell. S side large rubble porch with pointed arched entry and hoodmould. Porch is plastered within with C19 pointed inner S door and stone seats. Nave has single lancet to right on S and N side is similar but with stone voussoirs of blocked N door, and a single lancet to left. Lower chancel, slightly inset, has plain rectangular chamfered C19 or later S window and traceried C19 2-light pointed E window with cusped lights and cinquefoil. Slight batter to foot of E wall. Stone finials at nave and chancel E ends, nave cross survives, chancel cross broken off.
Interior
Plastered interior with late C19 roofs, boarded three-sided roof with arch-braced collar trusses on corbels to nave, boarded chancel roof. Plastered chancel arch.
Fittings: Font with retooled square bowl, presumably C12. Late C19 pitch pine pews
Memorials: pedimented plaque to Rev. D. Adams, died 1855.
Reason for designation
Included for its historic interest as a small rural church of ancient origins.
Nearby in the register
- Lime kiln near Lower Haroldston FarmAgriculture and Subsistenceunder 1 mi
- Church of Saint IsmaelReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Haroldston House and GardensHouse (domestic)under 1 mi
- Haroldston CottageDomesticunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.