History

Parish church rebuilt 1864-5 by Sir Gilbert Scott, with round tower. Betws was a chapelry of Llanspyddid, recorded in 1547. The church was ruinous in 1738, repaired, delapidated again in 1789, repaired again and extended in 1835, possibly with an organ chamber. It was square-ended and had a round W belfry with a 'bee-hive' top. Scott's church, for the Williams family of Penpont, was consequent on his restoration of Brecon Priory for Prebendary Garnons Williams of Abercamlais. It cost £1,000 and was virtually a rebuilding (described as 'entirely new' in one account). The S organ chamber and vestry look like additions, but are apparently original. The contractors were Williams & Sons of Brecon. Betws Penpont became a parish in 1880. The uncarved C19 corbels of the W arch were carved in 1937, by Alfred Evans of Sennybridge. The apse foundations were renewed in 1950, and in 1961 the stone tiles were replaced with concrete tiles.

Exterior

Church, coursed snecked rubble stone with plain tiled roofs. Chamfered lancet windows with hoodmoulds, the stops left uncarved. Chamfered plinth. Apse has four chamfered lancets, the fifth would have been on the site of the S organ chamber, and an identical window is in the chamber E wall. Moulded sill course carried over N buttress with plinth, set-off and splayed top. The nave has two pairs of lancets each pair under pointed hoodmould, and pointed door to right. Doorway is pointed, of two orders, roll-moulded within, chamfered outside, with imposts, hoodmould and stone voussoirs. Board door with wrought iron hinges. Coped W gable. W round tower has deep double-chamfered plinth and W 2-light with roundel under pointed hoodmould. Moulded course above, narrow second stage with rectangular chamfered openings NW and SW, and then a sill band under four bell-lights, each a chamfered louvered lancet with hoodmould. Conical tiled roof with weathercock. S side has attached gabled vestry with coped S gable and 2-light window. Nave S has three two-light windows as on N. Chancel has attached organ chamber with bargeboards to s gable, one lancet S, one to E like those in apse.

Interior

Plastered walls and boarded roofs with timber transverse ribs, radiating in apse. Moulded chancel arch on column shafts. Two steps to the chancel. Moulded arch to the tower with carved corbels, carved in 1937.
Fittings: massive drum font in ashlar, by Scott, chamfered above, moulded below, on round shaft and moulded base. Font cover dated 1889. Massive octagonal ashlar pulpit by Scott on pedestal, the top with band of zig-zag ornament. Oak book-rest lectern, 1908. Reading desk by Scott. Two armorial hatchments: the S one of Penry Williams of Penpont died 1847. Bench pews with fleurs-de-lys and cusping in bench ends, by Scott. Settle, at the back of the N row, 1990 by R. Harries of Battle. Stalls with panelled backs and reading desk, by Scott. Altar rail with scrolled iron work including passion-flower. Organ, by Flight & Robson of London, 1804, moved here in 1886-7 from Brighton (said to come from Royal Pavilion), rebuilt by Vowles & Son, 1967, retaining the fine Georgian organ-case. The first organ from the church is now in St Mary Brecon. Stained glass: Apse windows by Hardman: Crucifixion and three Evangelists, the fourth in the organ chamber N window. Nave S window by Burlison & Grylls, later C19, SS Peter & Paul. Tower W window to Rev Garnons Williams 1828-1908, the Presentation and Christ with children, with Williams family portraits to some of the figures. 1913, by Powell & Sons. Memorials: floor slab to Thomas Williams of Penpont 1738-62. On the S wall nine brass plaques, on W wall one brass plaque and one stone plaque, numerous are to members of the Garnons Williams family killed in the two World Wars.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as a small rural church of unusual round-towered design, by one of the leading Victorian architects.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485893

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

• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)