Church of Saint David

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Llanarth village on hill W of main road.

History

C14 to C15 church remodelled 1871-2 by R.J. Withers, who rebuilt nave and chancel within the old walls, raising the roofs, with new windows and put the slated pyramid spire on the original tower. It was said to have been dedicated to the unknown St Fyllteg or Fylltug, but Browne Willis suggests a lost double dedication to St David and St Meilig.

Exterior

Rubble stone with slate roofs, and limestone tracery. W tower, nave, chancel and N vestry. C14 or C15 fine tower with high battered base, NE stair tower, parapet corbelled on rough beach boulders and embattled with stepped battlements, apparently forked in Irish mode before 1871. 1871 slate pyramid roof. W front has recessed roll-moulded pointed doorway, small 2-light cusped window above possibly C14, loop above and 2-light C15 flat-headed cusped bell-opening. S side has similar loop and 2-light uncusped bell-light. E side has blocked opening part obscured by 1871 ridge line and 2-light cusped bell-light. N side has stair tower with rounded rendered cap, and single cusped bell-light.
Nave has coped gables, five 1871 small cusped lancets to N, S side single-lights and traceried 2-light windows in order 2,2,1,1,2. Chancel S has large 2-light with ogee tracery, 3 even E lancets and N lean-to vestry. Vestry has 2-light E and W and ogee-headed N door.

Interior

Plastered vault to tower with pointed N door to stair tower. Nave and chancel have walls stripped of plaster, revealing outlines of three earlier windows in S wall of nave, low cambered headed chancel S door, and one chancel N window. 1871-2 N windows have steeply sloped sills, S 2-light windows have trefoil-cusped rear arches. 1871-2 open cradle roofs, and broad chancel arch with half-octagonal piers and pointed chamfered arch. One step to chancel, two to sanctuary and one to altar. Some encaustic tiling. Ashlar trefoil-headed shelf recess in chancel N.
Fittings : Of 1871-2: ashlar octagonal font with roundels on cardinal faces, gloss-painted U-plan open-fronted ashlar pulpit with ringed shafts and moulded rail, gloss-painted stone reredos with brattished cornice and three-bay Gothic panelled front flanked by ringed shafts. Raised cross in centre panel. Simple High Victorian Gothic timber fittings: pews, stalls and kneeler with open Gothic panels, altar rails with ringed shafts, and altar with open Gothic panels. Later C19 NW organ by Conacher.
Stained glass: E window of 1925 in C15 style to Bishop Lloyd of Bangor. Nave S single light 1955 by Celtic Studios.
In tower rescued pieces from earlier church: Outstanding C12 or C13 font in poor condition, whitewashed with iron band. Square bowl chamfered below to octagonal with incised outlining and resting on four excellently carved crouching lions. Tall inscribed stone with C10 high relief Latin cross incorporating C6 inscription, very eroded but read in C19 as Gurhirt or Gurist. Also Ogham letter `C' on left side. Three monuments: on N wall black and white marble earlier C18 open pedimented monument to Richard Lloyd of Wern Newydd. On S wall, Edward Longcroft of Llanina (d 1812), marble oval with cornice and sarcophagus above, and Jane Davies (d 1753) marble scrolled pedimented monument with pilasters, cartouche and affixed ornaments.

Reason for designation

A fine medieval tower, good C19 detail to church and outstanding medieval font.