Church of St Ceinwr, Llangunnor, Carmarthenshire

History

Its hilltop location and Celtic dedication suggest an early medieval origin for the church. The present building probably comprises C13 nave and chancel, with later medieval N aisle and chapel, but few details remain visible. Major restoration in the period 1815-28 included refenestration. Another restoration, c1870, probably included the addition of the S vestry, at which time nave and chancel became aisle and chapel, and the original N aisle and chapel became nave and chancel. Further minor restoration in 1962-3 was by A.D.R Caroe, architect of London.

Exterior

A C19 Gothic style church comprising nave with lower and narrower chancel, S aisle with porch, S chapel and vestry. Walls of snecked stone are battered at the base. The roof is slate. The W porch has a single-chamfered W doorway and boarded door with strap hinges. Its side walls have Tudor windows with sunk spandrels and hood moulds. Above the porch is the gabled bellcote with pointed opening for a single bell. The 4-bay S aisle has early C19 windows with pointed brick heads, and 2-light Y-tracery. The lower, narrower, S chapel has a 2-light S window with square head, hood mould and sunk spandrels, partly obscured by the vestry. The lower vestry has a coped S gable, renewed W doorway carried up above the eaves, 2-light S window and lean-to on the E side.

The S chapel has a 2-light E window with pointed quatrefoil tracery light, and is continuous with the wider chancel E wall, which has a 3-light Decorated window. The N wall of the chancel has, on the E side, a 2-light window with sunk spandrels and hood mould, and on the W side a 2-light window with cusped pointed lights. The nave, higher and wider than the chancel, is only 3 bays, and therefore shorter than the S aisle, and has similar windows to the aisle, and a 3-light geometrical W window.

Interior

In the porch is an early medieval incised cross set beneath the S window. The W doorway is pointed with single chamfer and has double boarded doors. The interior has an early C19 character. Nave and aisle has plain plastered wagon roofs. The 3-bay division between nave and aisle is constructed on the trabeated principle with 2 Tuscan columns on high square bases, and beams with panelled soffits. The plastered chancel arch, and arch from aisle to chapel, are both lower, and pointed with a single chamfer. Chancel and chapel both have polygonal ribbed and plastered ceilings. The late medieval chancel aisle is 2 bays, with arches of different shape. On the W side is a 4-centred arch with broad continuous chamfer, and on the E side a wider segmental arch.

The C13 style font is square, on a round stem and square base. Box pews are c1870, the polygonal wooden pulpit dated 1969. In the chancel is a moulded wooden communion rail. There are several, mainly simple, wall memorials. In the aisle S wall is a sarcophagus to Charles Williams (d 1853). The W wall of the aisle has slate inscription panels to Ann Bowen (d 1798) and, signed by W Williams, a tablet in memory of the essayist, dramatist and politician Sir Richard Steele (1672-1724), who married Mary Scurlock of Llangunnor and lived at Ty Gwyn in the parish from 1724. In the aisle N wall is an unusual wooden classical memorial with Tuscan columns and open pediment, to Ann Humphreys (d 1778). In the nave N wall is a tablet with pediment to the Reverend John Jones (d 1827), and a brass to Lily Francis (d 1912). In the chancel N wall, set low down, is a trapezoidal slate panel to Harriet James (d 1823), signed J Jones. The chapel E wall has a slate inscription panel to Thomas Thomas (d 1728) and in the S wall a similar oval tablet to several daughters of the Rev John Jones (d 1797-1816). The nave W wall has a low-relief brass memorial to the 1939-45 war, made by F Osborne & Co of London to the design of Herbert Wauthier. In the nave N wall is a wooden board with Lord's Prayer, 10 Commandments and Creed in Welsh, undated.

Several windows have stained glass. The chancel E window shows Christ, SS David and Gynwr, post 1908 by Kempe and Tower. The chapel E window shows Christ and Mary Magdalene, post 1902 by C E Kempe. In the nave, the NE window shows the Ascension, post 1924 but not signed. In the W window is the Good Samaritan, dated 1936 by Geoffrey Webb. In the aisle, the window to the E end of the S wall shows the boy Jesus at the Temple, dated 1969 by Celtic Studios, while the central window has a less formal composition with sea and fish, post 1990 and signed CBB.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special historic interest as a medieval hilltop church with distinctive Georgian style interior and good C19 and C20 detail.

External Links

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