History

Anglican parish church, medieval origins, first recorded in 1291. Restored in 1875-7 to designs by Charles Buckeridge of Oxford (1832-73) carried out by J.L. Pearson. The restoration cost £1,300 and included rebuilding everything except the medieval vaulted chancel with the squint to the SW and some parts of the N wall. The restoration was one of several in the area by the same architects paid for by the Rev. Gilbert Harries of Llanunwas, Solva, rector of Gelligaer, Glamorgan. These include also St Brides, Whitchurch and Solva. Harries gave the unusual total immersion font, first used in 1884. Sir Stephen Glynne visiting in 1856 mentions a nave N chapel, modern nave N windows, no S windows, and bare earth nave floor. There was no arch to the S transept and stone seats along the walls in the chancel, S squint and W end. The E window was 2-light, Decorated Gothic.

Exterior

Parish church, rubble stone with tooled limestone quoins and bellcote and purple Caerbwdy stone tracery. Nave, chancel, transepts and W bellcote. Slate roofs renewed 1987. Nave has plain square W bellcote with 2 segmental pointed openings and ridged flat top. Pointed, traceried 2-light W window, Y-tracery with trefoils above main lights. Coped gables, E cross finial. N flat-headed traceried single-light and pointed doorway with ledged door and strap hinges. N transept has similar single-light W and E and 2-light with ogee tracery N, coped gable. Squint to chancel with small rectangular light. Chancel has N flat-headed 2-light traceried window. E wall is rebuilt in 1875, rebated angles, coped gable, cross finial and fine ogee reticulated tracery to 3-light E window. Chancel S has small single light to S and squint to left with small rectangular single light. S transept has coped gable and similar windows to N transept, E single light and S 2-light. Stone chimney in NW angle with pyramid cap. Brick base to chimney formerly hidden by lean-to boiler house. Nave S has flat-headed 2-light traceried window.

Interior

Whitewashed plastered walls, whitewashed chamfered pointed chancel arch with broad step in each side. Broach stops to arch and barred broach stops to chamfered jambs. Rood loft corbel projecting to left. Whitewashed plastered pointed tunnel vault to chancel. Small square-headed piscina with round bowl on S side, and S window-sill brought down as seat. Chancel arch has square recess on NE side. N squint has uneven roof, probably stone vaulted, S squint has broad shallow arch from chancel, both have rough cambered arch into transepts. Plain pointed plastered transept arches. Fine C13 stone font, scallopped with chamfered angles, round shaft and ring base on square plinth. Of 1875-7 the rafter roofs, deep-arch braced to give a tunnel-vault profile, the patterned tile floors, and plain pitch pine pews. Also the oak 5-sided pulpit with blind tracery to main panels under pierced panels of 4 quatrefoils. Stone moulded base, stone steps and wrought iron rail. In chancel are simple but well-designed oak stalls with incised circular motifs to upper angles and elbows. 4 brass oil lambs on twisted brass stems, 1893, by Jones & Willis. Sanctuary floor paving is more elaborate with encaustic tiles and some marble. Rails with iron branching uprights. Stained glass: nave N single light by John Petts 1990, Christ walking on the water. S 2-light 1911, St Peter. Monuments: N transept W 3-colour marble plaque to William Allen of Fobston (d 1758), panelled pilasters, arch and cornice; 2-colour marble memorial with steep triangular top and odd incised roundels and triangles, to Margaret Allen of Fobston (d 1778). N wall memorial to Richard Runwa of Hook (d 1766), finely carved trumpeting angel in semi-circular top panel; oval plaque to Ann Davies of Crabhall (d 1775); E wall slate plaque with cherub head to Martha Allen (d 1734). At nave W end is a carved C17 chest lid or panel with 3 saints and 3 grotesques. Under nave NW floor is a total immersion font installed 1884.

Reasons for Listing

Included at Grade II* mainly because of the medieval vaulted chancel and sensitively designed Victorian work.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742659

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

• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)