History

The church is dedicated to St. Cadoc, the C6th Celtic Saint. The main structure of the church dates from the C14th, however substantially rebuilt in 1855, funded by Roland Fothergill of Hensol Castle, who inserted the Hensol vault beneath the chancel at this date. Extensive rebuilding was undertaken in 1893 to the interior and tower which was reconstructed. The work being carried out by Messrs. J.R. Haines, builders of Canton, under the supervision of Bruton and Willliams, architects of Cardiff.

Exterior

Gothic parish Church comprising chancel, nave, south porch, west tower and chapel.Constructed in coursed local rubble stone, with slated nave and chancel roof with coped parapets and Celtic wheelcross finial at east end. Substantial, squat, west tower with corbel table below the crenellated parapet. The belfry is lit on each face by a broadheaded, square, louvered two light window with hoodmould over and square labels. There is a heavily moulded stringcourse at the base of the tower which is repeated about half way up, below which is a lancet stair window on the south face. The west doorway has an acutely pointed arch and the doorhead consists of two simple dressed stones of possibly C16th date. Above the West door is a further two light diamond leaded mullion window with hoodmould over which appears contemporary with doorway beneath. This window also has depressed arch headed lights and square headed labels. The south elevation comprising a small chancel, lit by a single lancet window with cusped head of C19th date. An early C15th doorway remains with simple dressed sandstone surround and plain chamfer. The nave is lit by a pair of C19th, two light windows with trefoiled heads beneath ogee arches surmounted by a quatrefoil. Between the windows lies the acutely pointed C19th south porch. The east elevation of the chancel has a 3-light window with ogee tracery crowned by a quatrefoil. Beneath the east window is the external doorway giving access to the Hensol vault. The east wall of the chancel has clasping buttresses of two stages with copings. On the north side the chancel is unlit, being flanked by a small former private chapel with one single light lancet with ogee trefoiled head beneath two mouchettes. The north elevation of the nave is lit by a pair of lancets. One with two trefoiled lights beneath an ogee arch surmounted by a quatrefoil. The other with a single trefoil headed light beneath an ogee arch.

Interior

Aisleless. The principle surviving early feature being the chancel arch of pointed form, springing from a compound pier comprising three closely arranged demi-shafts with embattled capitals incorporating four-leaf decoration of C14th date. To the north of the chancel arch is a doorway of pointed form leading to the vestry, above this is another small, pointed doorway accessed via a spiral staircase between the nave and vestry, formerly giving access to a rood-loft. The chancel has a wind braced roof carried on four stone corbels. The corbels have elaborate carved interlocking, foliate motifs, variously depicting vines with grapes, oak leaves with acorns and the remainder depicting exuberant scrolling foliage. The nave is similarly constructed with the principle rafters springing from eight stone corbels with similar luxuriant detailing as those in the chancel. The south doorway to the porch is by a blunt pointed arch with moulding. The font is of typical C14th design, octagonal in shape decorated with a sunken quatrefoil, with alternating plain faces, supported on a plain hexagonal base. The pulpit dates from 1893 and has a heavy, simply moulded cornice with sunken panels beneath, horizontally divided into three unequal sections, the upper panel has two ogee arches, the central panel is plain whilst below are two quatrefoils in circles. The pulpit is carried on a heavily moulded stone base and reached by five stone steps. The tower is separated from the nave by a pointed arch with an inner arch with a flat soffit merging in to the side walls below the point of springing. The tower screen is square framed of three bays, fitted to the head of the arch with flat stylised tracery lights, featuring trefoils and cinquefoils. The lancet window adjoining the pulpit on the north side of the nave has the only remaining stained glass window in the church, depicting Ruth and Mary Magdalene. It was erected in 1884 to a design by W.F. Dixon, London, as a memorial to Mary Anne, the wife of James Harvey Insole, of Llandaff and Ty Fry.

Reasons for Listing

Listed at grade II* for its medieval origins and special historic significance to the parish of Pendoylan.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17722609

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 GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)