Description

SO 52 NE; 4/130

SELLACK CP,
Church of St Tysilio

(Previously listed as Parish Church of St Tesiliog)

GV

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Parish church. C12 to C14 with C17 and C19 alterations. Sandstone rubble
and ashlar, Welsh and stone slate roofs and sandstone spire. West tower,
continuous nave and chancel, remnant of north aisle to north-west corner of
nave, central north preaching transept, north chapel, north-east vestry
and south porch.

West tower is mid-C13 of three stages externally undivided
on an unusually deep battered and moulded plinth about eight feet high, angle
buttress at east end of south side at junction with nave, recessed octagonal
spire with roll mouldings at angles, broached in stone slate to corners of
tower; at base of spire one gabled central 2-light opening with 2-centred
arch to each cardinal face containing single quatrefoil tracery above the
trefoil-headed and ogeed lights; south wall has square-headed opening above
plinth and above the buttress a sundial inscribed SPV 1711; second stage has
square-headed window in west wall; on north side above the plinth is a C17
doorway with a 2-centred head and a ledged studded door reached by stairs.
North aisle has plinth, diagonal buttress with off-sets, its west window has
moulded label, 2-centred head and three lights, two of which are cinquefoiled
and the centre one trefoiled, blocked north window has two cinquefoil lights
in Y-tracery and no label, roof is hipped. North transept has re-set restored
4-light cinquefoiled window with 2-centred head and label stops, plain deep
plinth, diagonal buttresses, verge and gable cross. North chapel has window
like the west window of north aisle, moulded plinth, weathered diagonal buttress
to north-east, moulded cornice and hipped roof. Vestry is C19 with 2-light
trefoiled east window and label stops. Chancel has high plain plinth up to
4-light trefoiled east window with 2-centred head. South wall of nave and
chancel has, to the east of the porch, three evenly spaced square-headed
windows of two trefoiled and ogeed lights with glazed spandrels, between the
right and centre ones is a chamfered square-headed opening with C17 nail-studded
priest's door, between the left and centre is a gabled 3-light C14 cinquefoil
window, probably to light a former rood screen, with a 2-centred head projecting
above eaves level, beneath it is a blocked window opening; to west of porch is
another gabled window above a 2-light square-headed window, both are imitations,
probably late C19, of the other windows to the east. South porch is C14 with
diagonal weathered buttresses, 2-centrd double-chamfered outer arch, label,
gable cross and a pair of 2-light square-headed ogeed and trefoiled openings,
one to each return wall; inside are a pair of stone side benches, single-
framed roof with six collar trusses, heavily worn water stoup on capital; C14
double-chamfered 2-centred south doorway with studded door, possibly C17; above
the doorway a niche with cinquefoil head.

INTERIOR has continuous wagon roof
with late C19 or early C20 panelling to nave and chancel; four-bay arcade
separates nave and chancel from northern adjunctions, the west bay is C12 with
semi-circular arch and scalloped capitals; the C19 centre two bays into north
transept have 2-centred arches with double chamfers and foliated capitals; C13
eastern bay to north chapel has 2-centred arch with two chamfered orders, responds
have attached shafts with moulded base and capitals. Chancel has stained glass
in east window with date 1630, when it was probably assembled by Richard Scudamore
whose monogram "Rs" appears with scenes of the Magi and Nativity; fragments of
medieval glass in spandrels of easternmost window on south side; C17 panelled
dado around east end; C17 communion rails project almost three yards from east
end enclosing altar on three sides, stick balusters, with turned balusters and
ball finials to corners and entry, top rail moulded on underside; south wall
has wall monument to 14 from the parish killed in World War I and three in
World War II; several other wall monuments to members of the Phelps and Ley
families, late C18 to late C19, including one for William Henry Ley, 1815-87,
parish priest for 46 years; brass cross on altar inscribed to Augustin Ley,
1842-1911. Nave has on south side at liturgical junction with chancel an
early C17 pulpit, enclosed hexagon with matching door on one side, four rows
of panels, the bottom plain, the next with circular interlace design, then
blank arches with Ionic capitals and pilasters, frieze and scrolled brackets
with acanthus decoration supporting projecting desk with chamfered zig-zag
edge and stylised foliage; tester is octagonal, rather than hexagonal with
turned pendants to angles, underside has eight moulded ribs converging on
central rosette, sides have guilloche ornament and dentilled moulded cornice;
to north of pulpit a desk perhaps C17 (obscured by Harvest Festival decoration
at time of re-survey October 1985) with square panels and fluted borders; on
north pier, dividing north chapel and north transept, a painted stone wall
monument in form of aedicule for Helip Fox, died 1678, has twisted columns,
Ionic capitals, broken pediment with cartouche-of-arms, acanthus brackets,
skull and swags; south window immediately west of pulpit has stained glass,
perhaps C15 with inscription " ... ? me fecit" in black-letter and Crucifixion;
font is C19 or re-cut with octagonal base, circular stem and octagonal bowl
with curved underside; western gallery is probably early C17, supported on three
pilastered segmentally-headed bays with key pendants, gallery front has four
square panels with square projections in the centre of each border; organ on
gallery, given by Sir William Mather in 1899 and restored in 1924, has three
bays, crocketted pinnacles and quatrefoil decoration with the inscription
ALLELUIA/ PRAISE YE THE LORD/ ALLELUIA: on north side is wall monument for
Thomas Farmer Turville, died 1824, in form of tapering sarcophagus on clawed
feet with oval lid decorated with acanthus; tower doorway is low and chamfered
with a 2-centred head. C19 vestry contains a C17 chest with square panels on
lid, front and ends. North chapel entered from chancel through small 2-leaved
doors constructed of Cl7 square panels, has C14 quadripartite rib vault rising
from moulded corbels; square-headed 2-light east window like those in chancel,
into vestry; beneath window is a recessed panel flanked by a pair of part-
octagonal brackets. North transept is early C19 with 2-centred arch to east
and west; south wall has benefactions board of 1823 above arcade; north window
has stained glass for Edward Jones and family who died between 1787 and 1861,
depicting the Ascension with inscriptions "Ye men of faith" and "Why stand ye
gazing up into heaven"; large wall monument on west wall to Thomas Symonds and
his wife, Penelope, died 1760 and 1771, by Thomas Symonds, died 1791, moulded
surround with 2-centred head; stone pedestal, slate back panel, centre is marble
with advanced open pediment containing three cherubs, life-sized bas-relief
profile head with garland, extremely long incised eulogy, cartouche-of-arms;
several other wall monuments to Dew, Powell, Gwillim and Prichard. North aisle
has stained glass in west window, for members of Symonds family who died 1869
to 1877, depicting Faith, Hope and Charity with inscription "The greatest of
these is Charity"; on north wall monument for William Powell, died 1680 in
white marble with moulded base, scroll and cartouche-of-arms, above which is
inscription and two cherubs pulling aside drapery to reveal an urn over a
segmentally-pedimented baldacchino: on west wall other monuments to Turville,
Powell and Crowther. The dedication of the Church to St Tysilio is, according
to Pevsner, unique in England; the RCHM refers to the church as that of
St Tesiliog.

Listing NGR: SO5653727662

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530235

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)