Church of Saint John the Divine

Cadw's description

Location

Situated roughly in centre of village, between the school and the village hall.

History

Anglican parish church, 1879-81 by R. J. Withers as chapel-of-ease to Llanbadarn Fawr. The cost of £1,094/3/0d (£1,094.15) mostly borne by Sir Pryse Pryse Bt of Gogerddan. Roderick Williams & Son builders. Built of local stone with dressings of Grinshill stone with red-tiled roofs and white timbered bell-tower, it has a vernacular character different from the normal Victorian Gothic.
A schoolroom cum chapel had been designed by William Butterfield in 1862, but what was built in 1862-3 by Roderick Williams is plain and probably to Williams' own design. This was used as the church until 1881. Withers first made designs for a new church in 1871, not built.
The church contains memorials to the Pryse family of Gogerddan, notably the reredos to Sir Edward J. Webley-Parry-Pryse, 1920 and the E window to Pryse Pryse Pryse. The ceramic eagle lectern is highly unusual, probably of c. 1900.

Exterior

Parish church, coursed local rubble stone (from Lodge Park quarry) with Bath stone dressings and red plain-tile roof. Crested ridge tiles and two terracotta crosses. Nave with timber, slate-roofed , W bell-tower on ridge, and chancel with lean-to N organ-chamber and vestry. Tooled quoins, high plinth with chamfered ashlar coping. W end has pair of lancets and roof is hipped with thin band of tiles below weatherboarded W bell tower. This has small louvred bell openings and slate pyramid roof, iron finial and weathercock. Also two narrow lights at base of W side. S has raised gabled surround to door with ashlar coping, over ashlar deep-chamfered pointed doorway, the head triple-chamfered, and with hoodmould. Double painted grained doors with wrought iron scroll hinges. Three lancets to right and big SE buttress with plinth, two chamfers and sloping cap. Chancel has double plinth with paired lancets left and single to right. E end has triple stepped lancets and similar buttress to right. Lean-to N vestry with two-light to E, N Caernarfon-arched doorway with painted grained iron-stuidded door, and 3-light to right. W single light. Windows have chamfered rectangular lights. Nave N has 4 lancets.

Interior

Broad interior with plastered painted walls. Ashlar pointed heads to window openings. Seven-sided collar-rafter roof to nave, the w end with 4 arch-braced beams carrying the bell-tower. S door has roll-moulded segmental-pointed surround. Broad pointed chancel arch with chamfered outer order carried down to bar stop while inner order is carried on moulded corbelled capitals. One step to chancel, which has 7-sided rafter roof. Ashlar double-chamfered segmental-pointed N opening to organ chamber. One step at level of vestry entry. Vestry has corner fireplace and cupboard over. One step to sanctuary with altar rails, one step to altar. Tiled floors. Small trefoil headed piscina recess to S and S single light has reveal carried down as seat.
Fittings. Massive bowl font with chamfered upper edge, roll mouldings at top and bottom, the latter over capital moulding above red sandstone short shaft. Moulded ashlar massive base. Pulpit with ashlar canted base with plinth and incised bead moulding, carrying open timber canted-fronted top with ringed shafts at angles and between pair of panels on S. Stone steps up. Remarkable lectern of c. 1900, a coloured ceramic eagle with claws on serpent, probably made by Doulton of Lambeth to design by George Tinworth. It stands on an ashlar column base with three spur feet pierced with Gothic tracery. Altar rails in oak - 6 uprights, short ringed columns carrying octagonal tops with pierced brackets. Reredos of 1920, ornate alabaster in moulded frame with pierced Gothic cresting. Centre long panel carved with relief of Last Supper and outer panels with carved angel. Grey marble moulded cornice and octagonal side piers with moulded bases and caps, coloured marble shelf with alabaster below and brackets. Organ by Nicholson & Co 1921. Chancel stalls have open-fronted kneeler, benches with quatrefoils pierced in back and ends. Pine pews with shaped bench ends and panelled backs.
Stained glass. E window, to Pryse Pryse Pryse, Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection, 1900 by Hardman. Chancel S 2-light by Hardman to Sir Pryse Pryse Bt, Christ and Lamb of God, 1906. Nave fourth 1979 by Celtic Studios, Christ and small school scene.

Reason for designation

Included as a late Victorian country church, influenced by the change of taste away from High Victorian Gothic to a more vernacular style.