Church of St Cynllo

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on lane between A484 and B4570 some 500m N of Croesllan crossroads.

Exterior

1830-2 Anglican parish church by David Evans of Cardigan, remodelled 1859-60 by R J Withers, architect of London. Coursed rubble stone with Bath stone tracery, slate roofs and red crested ridges. Nave and chancel of near equal length, chancel ridge slightly lower. Ashlar plate tracery of 1859, W bellcote dated 1891, S porch probably of 1859, and fine slate classical steeple over chancel arch of 1830-2. Coped gables and renewed cross finials. Steeple (restored 1993) is exceptional, a miniature classical spire in Cilgerran stone, the columns renewed in turned slate. Three tiers, the bottom two with Roman Doric columns in antis, pedestal and entablature. The blocking course over the lowest tier serves as plinth for the next. Bottom tier has arched niches. The spirelet itself is an obelisk on plinth and panelled pedestal, the shaft four-sided with chamfered angles. Neo-Grec acroterial ornaments to each stage. Plain W bellcote with shouldered coping. Similar coping to gables and S porch, porch has tall chamfered entry and impost bands. Roll-moulded pointed door within. Nave has W 2-light, and two flush 2-light windows each side, the side windows uncusped with circles over. Chancel has two similar to S, lean-to vestry and one to N, but tracery has some simple cusping. E 3-light window with two sexfoils. All windows have Cilgerran stone voussoirs. Nave E has low sloping buttressing each side. Vestry is lean-to with acutely pointed 2-light E window, Caernarvon-arched W door and strongly modelled chimneystack, stepped-in and with gabled cap pierced by quatrefoil.

Interior

Plaster-panelled three-sided roofs, plastered walls, thick chancel arch has thin ringed shafts let-in to angles W and E, and seat inset on N, all of 1859. Fittings are almost all of 1859: big square cushion font apparently C19 but H M Vaughan thought recut medieval. Inside is medieval octagonal stoup with angle lobes. High Victorian simple pine pews, prayer desks, stalls, rails and altar table. Simple tile floors, patterned encaustic tiles to reredos. Very ornate carved stone pulpit of 1903 with pierced tracery and angle statue, the whole on squat marble columns. Stained glass: E and W windows of 1859 by Lavers and Barraud of London, E of better quality. Two chancel S windows of 1883 and 1887, both by Cox, Son, Buckley & So, the 1883 window with strong line drawing. One chancel N window in C15 style of 1932, signed 'W', one nave S window of 1930 signed W Glasby. Monuments: Nave N Lt Col G Lloyd of Treforgan (killed 1900) alabaster; fine low relief kneeling female with urn to Eliz Mitchell (d 1827); neo-Grec memorial with urn to Rees Price of Gwellwen (d 1827); big marble scroll to Jonathan Jenkins of Cilbronnau (d 1851) by M W Johnson, London. S side: plaque with urn to Evan Davies of Treforgan (d 1832). On nave E wall rustic classical plaque to Magdalen Lewis of Llwyngrawys (d 1729). In chancel S plaque to Owen Lloyd of Abertrinant (d 1812) signed Barlow, London, with reeded pilasters and urn, large C19 hatchment, two 1857 plaques to successive Thomas Lloyds of Coedmore (d 1810 and 1857) and a betrophied memorial to Col H Vaughan of Plas Llangoedmore (killed 1855) by S Manning.

Reason for designation

Included at II* because of the exceptional quality of the 1830 steeple and near-complete furnishings of 1859.