Church of St Tecla including the Churchyard with Tomb Chests

Cadw's description

Location

Set in a raised churchyard away from main road.

History

Rebuilt 1876 on old foundations by S W Williams, architect of Rhayader, who added the chancel. The tower was rebuilt in 1953 after a collapse, using stone from Llwynbarried Hall, Nantmel. The cusped south door is said to have been removed from Abbey Cwmhir.

Exterior

Long low nave, slightly narrower and lower chancel, low west tower with squat broach spire, south porch. Rubble stone incorporating much older masonry in the north and south walls, buttresses on each side. Slate roof to main body of church, shingles to tower. Septifoil-headed doorway in south wall with corbelled head above. Perp windows, tower has round-headed openings.

The churchyard is sub-circular and has numerous chest tombs with finely carved designs.

Interior

Arch-braced roof with diagonal braces above the collar and herring-bone boarded underside. The truss dividing the chancel from the nave has a tie-beam with open arcadework above, the feet of the chancel roof trusses rest on brackets with pierced trefoil ornament. C15 screen largely rebuilt; six lights either side of wide doorway with tracery head, brattished head rail, moulded mullions, chamfered mid-rail and plank and muntin panelling. Tracery heads to the lights on the south side are original but have lost rosehead cusps shown in earlier illustrations. Font possibly Norman, plain round bowl on cylindrical stem. Pulpit, lectern, reredos, vestry screen, pews, communion rails, encaustic tiles all of 1876 in Gothic style. Glass by Jones and Willis. The alter table has fixed to it a length of enriched timberwork with foliage scroll, the provenance is unknown. C17 communion table with split bobbin work in vestry.