History

Anglican parish church, C14 origins, mostly late medieval. The details of tower and S porch suggest the C16 and there was substantial post-medieval work including the re-roofing of the nave, whose heavy scissor rafters could be C17. The date of 1593 on W end of the nave is said to relate however to a royal visit rather than a rebuilding. Restored 1881 by A.E. Lansdowne of Newport. Material of 1869 in the National Library refers to reseating and reflooring proposed by J.P. Seddon in 1867, which was objected to by the pew-holders. Seddon mentioned that the N wall needed rebuilding with 2 new windows, possibly the windows there now. Said to have bells dated 1662 and 1829. An earlier C19 drawing in church tower shows a pyramid roof on the tower. Bradney suggests that the 3 saints of the dedication were formerly SS David, Teilo and Padarn.

Exterior

Parish church, rubble stone with slate roofs and coped gables with cross finials. Massive embattled west tower with stair turret, wide nave with large S porch, and wide chancel.
Tower has, battered plinth with heavy moulding, another moulded string at mid-height, and embattled parapet with stone rainwater spouts to W. Stair tower rises slightly higher at SE with embattled parapet and water spout. Bell-lights are unmoulded small rectangular 2-light with stone louvres, and relieving arches over, of uncertain date, late medieval or even post medieval. W doorway is arched, very slightly pointed, chamfered, with 3-sided stop. Stone vousoirs above. C19 door. C19 small flat-headed 2-light window above with hoodmould. Small rectangular light under string course and another similar half-way up upper stage. S side is windowless, but there are 5 small chamfered loops in stair tower.
No break between stair tower and nave S. Nave S has S porch, then small 2-light window with depressed arched lights, flat hood and relieving arch to left, then large 3-light segmental-pointed C19 Bath stone Perp style window, the sill possibly reused. To right of this is windowless projection for former rood stair. Porch is large with chamfered arched entry, similar to W door, with 3-sided stop and stone voussoirs. Small light to E side. Plastered within, moulded ridge beam, stone benches, and stone flagstones. Pointed inner doorway, double chamfered with hoodmould and studded plank door.
Chancel S has C19 lancet to left, then renewed pointed-arched doorway then another C19 Bath stone 3-light window.
Nave N side has 2 big C19 Perp style pointed windows, the right one with apparently reused sill. Straight joint to left of left window, then C19 single light with flat head and hoodmould, the NE corner of nave apparently rebuilt. Chancel N has much renewed stonework and C19 flat-headed 2-light with deep hoodmould and ogee tracery. E end has heavy cornerstones, battered plinth, and renewed late medieval 3-light window with four-centred pointed arch, hood and two shield-bearing angels as stops. Ogee tracery.

Interior

Broad nave with whitewashed plaster walls and open roof of big scissor rafters, presumably C17 and intended to be plastered. Stone flag paving. Tower arch has cut stone voussoirs and segmental pointed rear arch. C19 pine screen. W wall inscription: 1593 ER XXXV. Narrow doorway to tower stairs to left of tower arch, chamfered with bar stop and plank door. Within tower, high ceiling with 3 heavily moulded beams, possibly C16.
Plain beam over chancel arch with 2 stone corbels below and 2 above, representing the remains of rood loft. Moulded pointed chancel arch and two steps down into chancel, which has C19 3-bay collar-truss roof with diagonal boarding. Trefoil cusped piscina set low on S wall.
Octagonal font, chamfered below, on base with malt-shovel panels, the bowl inscribed Iohn Iones 1673. C19 pews, stalls and pulpit. C19 wrought iron communion rails. C20 linenfold E end panelling and E window stained glass of 1981, Christ and Lamb. Tiny piece of possibly ancient glass in head of nave left N window. Memorials: marble sarcophagus plaque with lion feet and broken column to John Gardner Kemeys of Bertholey and Plantain Garden River, Jamaica, d 1830, signed R. Walker of Bristol; grey and white marble plaque with female and anchor leaning on urn, to Susanna Gardner Kemeys d1804, signed Reeves & Son of Bath.

Reasons for Listing

Graded I as an unusually large medieval village church with particularly fine W tower and interior with unusual scissor-truss nave roof.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Church of St Peter, St Paul and St John at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117693

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

• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)