Church of St Michael, Cilycwm, Carmarthenshire

History

Anglican parish church, C14 and C15, restored 1905-9 by W D Caroe.

Exterior

Rubble stone with pink stone dressings and slate roofs. Single-roofed nave and chancel, S aisle of equal length, single roofed and W tower. It is probable that the nave and chancel are C14, the tower late C14 or early C15 and the S aisle mid to late C15. Tower is plan Carmarthenshire type, the base battered on W only, corbelled parapet and battlements. W side has Tudor-arched doorway, C15, and 3 sides have single segmental-pointed bell-light and mid-height single louvered light with cambered head, E side has 2-light similar bell-light. Vaulted ground floor and battered W end of nave within, showing that tower was added. Pointed inner W door. North side has 4 windows, all renewed 1905-9, the outer ones ogee-traceried 3-light with hoodmoulds, the inner 2 simpler 2-light with hoods. To right is pointed arched C14 doorway to stairway within nave NW angle leading to first level of tower. On nave W end, slate plaque of 1834 to Price of Bwlchtrebannau family, on N side, between first and second windows, 1846 double plaque to Rev M R Davys d 1846, signed D Beynon. Between third and fourth windows plague to Ann Jones of Ystradwallter, (d 1788) and at NE end, carved shield with lion quartered with 3 horses heads (? Lloyd) over eroded plaque of 1701. East end has C15 window 3 plain arch-headed lights, in pink conglomerate stone. Battered base to wall.

South aisle E has C15 3-light and hoodmould with crude pair of gargoyle heads and centre head boss. Battered base to aisle walls. South side has 4, 2-light windows, with hoodmoulds, 3 original, the second of 1906, original windows in pink stone. Between third and fourth ashlar doorway dated 1906. Between second and third windows large plaque to Ann Morgans C 1830 by D Beynon, and between third and door, slate plaque to John Price of Cwmcroyddin (d 1768). Aisle W end has sub-classical 2-light window with shouldered arched heads, possibly early C19, under C15 crude hoodmould with carved gargoyle key and stops.

Interior

Nave and aisle divided by C15 5-bay arcade of octagonal piers and single chamfer arches. Plain capitals, feet broached to square bases. Nave has roof apparently of 1906 but retaining parts of plain C17 collar truss roof. Triple-purlin, 8½ arch-braced collar trusses. Nave NW corner walled off for stair to tower (access outside), an odd arrangement as stair tower or ladder access more usual. No chancel division, but thickened fifth pier of arcade. South aisle has fine C15 wagon roof of 66 panels, unplastered, longitudinal ribs moulded with renewed leaf bosses.
Fittings: First pier of arcade is unusually designed to hold inset C13 or C14 decagonal bowl font, on decagonal shaft with hollowed faces except flat W face. Pews, stalls, reading desk, pulpit, rails, altar table, chancel S screen, aisle E screen and attached vestry screen all of 1906 by Caroe, simple detail, the pulpit 5-sided, raised on legs, the rails on tapering columns. An old family pew, earlier C19, remains at E end of S Aisle.
Stained Glass: Chancel E 3-light Last Supper 1876 by T Baillie, nave N 1, 3-light c1893, possibly by Mayer, remodelled 1906, aisle W 2-light 1887 by Hardman, in C16 style.
Monuments: dislodged on tower floor Walter Price of Bwlchtrebannau (d 1848), marble scroll c1870 by G Maile; nave W rustic slate plaque to Richard Davies of Killwen (d 1764); nave N 2 large plaques of c1848 and c1854 by D Beynon with draped urns to W P Jeffreys and Rear Adm D P Price; William Jones of Ystradwallter (d 1815) and wife (d 1843), draped urn; Ann Jones of Blaenose (d 1844), gothic plaque by J E Thomas; David Jones of Blaenose (d 1840) by J E Thomas. Beneath is fine half-relief mourning female figure of c1840 probably by J E Thomas, to commmemorate John Jones of Blaenose (d 1813). Nave E wall large marble low relief oval of angels, C1869 to William Jones of Henllys d 1844 and family; Mary Lloyd of Mandinam
(d 1732), broken pedimented, by J Arthur of Cilycwm. South aisle: W marble scroll to E Jenkins (d 1874), by D Beynon; S wall marble scroll to Mary Ann Jones of Penybont (d 1867); marble memorial with mourning female and urn and broken column to Daniel Jones of Penybont (d 1862), by Lewis of Cheltenham. In S vestry, D Saunders of Dugoedydd (d 1865), gothic, by D Beynon. On E end large early C19 2-tier plaque with urn to Davys of Neuadd Fawr, (d 1767-1850s); in window splay 1857 plaque to C18 Jones family of Neuadd Fawr.
Wall paintings: Church has an exceptional series of wall paintings apparently of 1724 in S aisle, but there is also a 1795 date, all heavily over-painted in1986. On W wall skeleton with spear; on S wall from W: 1. Text largely obscured by D Jones monument, Psalm 84 v10. 2. Cartouche with dedication including ..."R Jones and
T Price, churchwardens and John Arthur pinxerunt 1724", 3. Big double-framed Ten Commandments supported by bearded figure (Aaron?) to left. Date 1795 beneath.
4. framed text Creed, partly behind D Saunders monument. East wall right: framed text I Petter 2 17. In gable very large Hanoverian royal arms with supporters. Over-painting may not be reliable for all words and details.

Reasons for Listing

A large medieval church, with fine C15 roof and rare series of wall-paintings.

External Links

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