Church of the Holy Trinity (including Churchyard Monument & Boundry Walls)

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at W end of street in spacious churchyard.

History

1841-42 Anglican parish church by J L Collard of Carmarthen, remodelled 1920 by W D Caroe of London. Church was to cost £780 and committee proposed that the model of Casterton Church, Westmorland, as shown by Rev W Carus-Wilson in his 'Helps to the Building of Churches' (c1840), be followed, as was done also at Bistre church, Flints. Newcastle Emlyn was previously a chapel of Cenarth parish and this church replaced a small and derelict chapel by the castle.

Exterior

Plain 'Commissioners Gothic' original building in blue lias stone with broad slate-roofed nave, chancel, S porch and narrow catellated W tower; altered externally in 1920 by replacement of long Y-traceried lancets with flat-headed ashlar Perp-style 2-light windows, and 3-light segmental-pointed east window. Four windows to nave south with large circa 1840 porch to left, shallow gabled with unmoulded pointed arch and chamfered pointed inner doorway with double panelled doors. Similar N side with chamfered pointed doorway to right. Chancel has one window each side.

Tower was plain with corbelled castellated parapet and plain louvred bell-openings. In 1920 ashlar tracery was added to bell-openings and ground floor W window; tower itself appears to have been widened with stepped angle buttresses up to bell-stage which has raised angle piers and paired segmental arches under corbelled parapet. Plain castellation altered to include stepped corners.

Churchyard with numerous slate headstones and 3 linked iron-railed tomb enclosures close to S wall. Rubble stone wall to Church Street with wrought iron gates and rendered piers.

Interior

Interior notable for the transformation effected in 1920 when the original broad aisleless nave with hammerbeam-type roof of 5-bays was given passage aisles by adding square stone piers up to the undersides of the hammberbeams. Original panelled W gallery on quatrefoil columns. Fine Art Nouveau stem font with beaten copper cover. Chancel has boarded wagon roof and much finely carved circa 1920 woodwork. East window stained glass of circa 1924 by Horace Wilkinson and C20 glass in 5 other windows. Fragment of good quality circa 1860 glass in tower suggesting that tracery may be re-used. Two C19 hatchments to the Halls of Cilgwyn, removed from Paddington Parish Church.

Reason for designation

Group value