Church of St Anno

Cadw's description

Location

In a churchyard set down on the W side of the A483 on the SW side of the entrance to Glanrafon Farm

History

A medieval church entirely rebuilt in 1876-7 by David Walker, architect of Liverpool. Wall tablets, a box pew and, most importantly, the rood screen of c1500 were salvaged from the old church. The screen is the most richly decorated and one of the most complete medieval rood screen in Wales. A similar but larger screen existed at the parish church in Newtown that was abandoned in the mid nineteenth century, making Llananno a precious survival of what was once a flourishing tradition of wood carving in mid Wales. The screen was restored in 1880, when the pre-Reformation niches were filled with new figures by Boulton of Cheltenham. The screen was restored again in 1960.

Exterior

A small single-cell church in C19 Gothic style, of rubble stone with freestone dressings and quoins, and renewed slate roof behind coped gables on moulded kneelers. The double W gabled bellcote has pointed bell openings and round opening above. The S porch has shallow angle buttresses to the side walls, and a 2-centred arch with continuous moulding and hood mould. The N and S walls have square-headed windows with cusped tracery. They comprise 2-light and 3-light nave windows and 2-light chancel window. Between nave and chancel is a stepped buttress. The chancel has a 3-light Decorated E window, the nave a 2-light Decorated W window, both with hood moulds. The W window is flanked by stepped buttresses.

Interior

Inside the porch are stone benches. The nave has pointed S doors with strap hinges. The arch is inscribed 'rebuilt Anno Domini 1877'. The interior has a 7-bay arched-brace roof on plain, short posts, and with a single tier of windbraces. Decorative tiles are in the chancel, richer in the sanctuary. The moulded wooden communion rail has octagonal posts and cusped brackets. A simple corbelled stoup has been re-set by the S door.

The rood screen dominates the interior. It has a broad central doorway flanked by 5 lights on either side, each with panelled dado and intricate openwork tracery of different designs. The doorway has a triangular head with traceried circles. Above a foliage cornice the coving has moulded and embossed ribs with openwork tracery panels of different designs (plain panels on the chancel side). The bressumer has 2 tiers of vine and foliage trails, the upper of which sprouts from the mouths of wyverns. The loft has a row of 25 canopied niches with Victorian figures, Christ in the centre, Apostles to the R, and kings, patriarchs and prophets to the L. The screen is crowned by a foliage cornice. On the chancel side there is a single broad foliage trail to the bressumer, and plain panels to the loft.

The plain octagonal font is C19. In the NW corner is a late C17 box pew adapted as a vestry, with simple geometric flower patterns, and a panel with 'David Lewis Churchwarden 1681' in raised letters. Late C19 pews have open backs and open arched ends. The pulpit, of similar date, has open arched panels on a freestone base. In the nave N wall is a corbelled freestone wall tablet to David Morgan (d 1814) by Edward Stephens of Llandrindod. The chancel N wall has a marble tablet to Evan Stephens (d 1833), the chancel S wall a freestone tablet to John Stephens (d 1875), which has a simple achievement with IHS in raised letters.

The E window has a panel depicting the Nativity.

Reason for designation

Listed for its architectural interest as a small C19 parish church, and graded II* on account of its exceptional rood screen, an architectural survival of national importance.