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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

Church of St Michael

Penybont, Powys, Wales

A Grade II listed building in Ceffnlys, Penybont, Powys, designated on 12 December 1952.

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913) covering the location of Church of St Michael, Penybont, Powys, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Designation
Listed building, Grade II
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Date of designation
12 December 1952
Locality
Ceffnlys
Community
Penybont
Unitary authority
Powys
Country
Wales
Coordinates
52.24411, -3.34167
Cadw reference
9301

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1608 map "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1637 · Particular description of Wales. Cambria seu Wallia (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1883 · Watershed map England, Wales 3. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1898 · 179 Rhyader (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1901 · Sheet 14. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

Isolated setting about 2.5km (1+ miles) E of Llandrindod Wells, close under the banks of Ceffnlys Castle. Formerly the centre of Ceffnlys borough, a now deserted village.

C13, restored 1895 after two years of abandonment. The rector of the new town of Llandrindod Wells had the church deliberately unroofed in an attempt to persuade the parishioners to attend the new church in the town. The restoration may be by Nicholson and Sons, architects of Hereford, who rebuilt the old church in Llandrindod in 1894 after similar treatment.

Single cell with small west tower topped by low broach spire. South porch with four-centred arch. Coursed rubble, slate roof. The tower has some rock-faced masonry and a drip course which runs as a hood mould over the windows. Pointed arch doorway at south east end of nave. Paired and single lancet windows, those either side of the sanctuary with hood moulds, the east window and one at the east end of the south wall of the nave are possibly original.

Chamfered round-arched south doorway. Arch-braced, hammer-beam roof, exposed rafters, boarded underside; the chancel trusses are distinguished by pierced apex treatment and quatrefoil ornamental wall-brackets. Raised chancel and sanctuary areas. Restored C15 screen - six lights either side of central doorway flanked by standards with elaborately capped bowtells. The tracery head to the doorway is missing - fretwork tracery in the lights are replacements, richly moulded mullions, chamfered mid-rail, bead moulded plank and muntin panelling, moulded head rail with mortices to carry loft framing. Octagonal font on new base. Pulpit re-uses panelling possibly from pews, dated 1660 and 1661, with rich geometric and arcadework decoration. Early wood-lined aumbry and piscina in sanctuary, C18 and C19 wall tablets reset at west end. Encaustic floor tiles.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 2026-09-07, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Service · Open Government Licence v3.0
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