History in Structure

Church of St Brynach

A Grade II Listed Building in Llanfrynach, Powys

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.9229 / 51°55'22"N

Longitude: -3.3461 / 3°20'46"W

OS Eastings: 307525

OS Northings: 225791

OS Grid: SO075257

Mapcode National: GBR YR.P0MW

Mapcode Global: VH6BZ.YXDR

Plus Code: 9C3RWMF3+5H

Entry Name: Church of St Brynach

Listing Date: 17 January 1963

Last Amended: 28 July 2005

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 6749

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: Church of St Brynach, Llanfrynach
St. Brynach's Church

ID on this website: 300006749

Location: In a prominent position in the centre of the village of Llanfrynach.

County: Powys

Town: Brecon

Community: Llanfrynach

Community: Llanfrynach

Traditional County: Brecknockshire

Tagged with: Church building

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History

Anglican parish church, late medieval W tower, the rest rebuilt 1855-6 to plans by William Jones of Brecon. The tower is said to be C13 due to the thick walls, but the detail is C15. The church in 1809 was described as 'low and narrow, not ceiled, and but indifferently lighted'. In the rebuilding a larger opening was made into the tower, demolishing the tower stair.

Exterior

Parish church, rubble stone with C20 plain tiles to roofs. Medieval W tower and the rest Victorian, with nave, chancel, N vestry and S porch. Tower is square, two-stage with embattled parapet. Plinth with slight chamfer, just below rounded string course under lower windows, another string course at mid height and a moulded one under battlements, with rainwater spouts just below on E and W sides. Two-light pointed bell-lights with cusped Y-tracery and louvres. C19 small Bath stone lancet at ground floor N and S with stone voussoirs. Large C19 grey sandstone W 2-light pointed window with trefoil in head. Small medieval loop over W window and one on S side.
Nave and chancel are of squared purple and grey stone, with steep roofs, coped gables with stone cross finials, chamfered ashlar eaves and chamfered plinth. Nave has pointed two-light windows with thick tracery and hoodmoulds, and stepped buttresses each end. Nave N has three windows, S has porch and two windows. Porch has similar roof and coped gable, side buttresses and big continuously moulded ashlar arch with hoodmould. Paired wooden gates, stone flags and stone seats. S door has ashlar pointed head dying into chamfered jambs, and hoodmould. Double boarded doors. Ashlar trefoil light to each side wall. Chancel is lower with two cusped lancets to S with hoodmoulds, stepped diagonal angle buttresses, and big three-light E window with ogee lights and three rounded foiled lights in head. N side has added vestry in rock-faced grey stone, overlapping nave. Lean-to roof, N 2-light window and door, and W 2-light window, all with shouldered heads.

Interior

Plastered interior. Plastered pointed C19 arch to tower which has raised floor with pews of c. 1865, and flat ceiling. Nave and chancel have thin scissor-rafters to roofs on brattished wall-plate. Windows in deep reveals with C19 tiles on sills. Boarded dado. Tall and narrow pointed chancel arch in ashlar, on short columns with carved corbels and moulded capitals. Ballflower ornament in the inner arch, outer arch chamfered all around, and hoodmould with carved stop. One step to chancel, one to sanctuary and one to altar table. Chancel N wall has broad Tudor-arched opening for the organ. E wall has tiled dado each side of reredos, with biscuit-fired dust-pressed patterned tiles. Behind altar, under reredos is a moulded shelf of grey and pink marble.
Fittings: Font is medieval, retooled, octagonal with deep chamfered base, on octagonal shaft. Oak pulpit, carried high on a post with sturdy braces, canted sides with open paired lancets over small carved square panels. Scrolled wrought iron altar rails. Oak reredos of five ogee cusped panels, the centre one taller, and outer piers with carved angel with censer under ogee canopy. Moulded cornice and pierced cresting. Oak eagle lectern, to W. de Winton 1823-1907, who read the lesson daily for 36 years.
Tower has pews of c1865, memorial to J. J. de Winton died 1863, with unusual shaped ends and cinquefoil roundels. Boarded backs. Pierced front kneeler. Nave pews have shaped ends with crosses in roundels, dated 1904. Chancel stalls are similar to those in tower, but with panelled backs, and pierced front kneeler. Painted metal Commandment and Creed boards at E end of nave, and two very big painted metal boards in chancel with angels, one with lute, one with censer.
Stained glass. Chancel: fine E window by Hardman of Birmingham 1861, three lights, Crucifixion on deep blue ground with red vesica behind Christ figure, to Captain W. D. Seymour died at Gwalior 1859, and Catherine Seymour died 1857. S has two single-lights by W. Warrington 1863, highly coloured, painterly style, female saint with a dragon in a chalice, and an angel with a lily, to Captain Parry de Winton died 1861 and Hephzibah Frances de Winton died 1862. Nave S first window, two-light with David & Goliath to H. P. de Winton died 1902. The next two windows have mid C19 patterned glass with fleurs-de-lys.
Tower W window c. 1865 to John Parry de Winton 1778-1864, two-light Baptism and Ascension, similar to E window, but less well drawn. Tower N and S small single lights of c. 1902, each an angel in pale gold and silver, to Frances de Winton died 1853 and Henry de Winton 1823-1901.
Early Christian stone: Important early Christian stone at W end, probably a cross shaft decorated with four-cord crude interlace, a small figure at the top with upraised arms, a Maltese cross towards bottom and a small bird below.
Organ: 1872 by Gray & Davison. Single manual.
Memorials: N wall: fine marble memorial to Lt Richard de Winton, died at Demerara 1841, with relief portrait and military banner, by John Evan Thomas; fine grey and white marble memorial with draped plaque, the drapery excellently carved, partly covering a mourning cherub, to Charlotte, wife of J. P. de Winton of Maesderwen, died 1826, also by J. E. Thomas. Black and white marble shield plaque with urn over to John Phillips of Tregare died 1763 and his wife died 1785. S wall marble small sarcophagus memorial to the Rev. Thomas Williams, rector for 56 years, died 1839, by J. Thomas of Brecon. Chancel N wall Gothic plaque to C.C. Clifton of Ty Mawr, died 1841, by J. Thomas of Brecon, and Gothic plaque by Reeves of Bath to the Rev. C. Clifton died 1847.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special historic interest as a parish church with good surviving medieval W tower, C19 fittings including stained glass and memorials by J. E. Thomas.

External Links

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.

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