Church of Saint Caron

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in the centre of Tregaron, raised on a small hillock between the Bridge and the Square.

History

Parish church with late C14 W tower, the rest rebuilt 1878-9 by Archibald Ritchie of Chester. The restoration cost £1,500 and involved widening the building and adding a vestry. Repairs 1995 by Roger Clive-Powell.

Exterior

Rubble stone with slate roof and red tile ridge. W tower, nave and chancel under single roof, S vestry. Tower is large and plain, probably later C14, similar to Llanddewi Brefi. Battered plinth, then sheer battered walls with a corbelled embattled parapet. NE stair tower projects on N, flush with E side, corbelling carried around. Parapet of stair tower rises higher with battered sides and battlements. Vane and weathercock. Bell-lights are very small 2-light, flush and pointed. Carved stone rainwater spout on S side, part of 1995 repairs. W front has pointed ashlar doorway, chamfered with bar-stop to jambs and double chamfer head. Stone voussoirs. 2-light small window above, ashlar tracery, uncusped lights and trefoil in circle above. Nave and chancel have coped E gable with stone cross finial, and iron cross on ridge to mark chancel. N wall has two segmental-pointed nave windows with plain 3-light lancet tracery, then gabled buttress, and chancel has one segmental-arched 3-light with lancet tracery. S wall of nave has one 2-light with circle in head, and two segmental-pointed 3-light windows all with uncusped tracery. Gabled vestry to right. Coped gable, ashlar circular gable vent, and 2-light window with roundel head. Basement lancet. E side has steps to shouldered doorway. Chancel S single lancet. E end has plinth, central short buttress, and 3-light E window with three circles in head. Ashlar circular gable vent.

Interior

High vault to tower, and tall tower arch, both rough stone. Single roof to nave and chancel, of 6 bays, with deep arch-braced collar trusses, chancel bay has arch-braced rafters. Medieval font bowl, heptagonal, rounded below and with raised fillets at angles. Ashlar pulpit 1879, and reredos 1886. 1924-6 wrought iron screen. Pine altar rails with wrought iron in panels. Stained glass by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster in E window 1922, chancel S lancet c1936, nave N third c1934 and nave S first c1941. By Celtic Studios single light in nave N first 1951, 3-light nave S third c1952.

Reason for designation

Listed as one of the best churches in the county and for its prominent location.