Church of Saint Cadmarch, Llangamarch, Powys

History

Anglican parish church, 1915-16 by W. D. Caroe, the tower added 1927. The church was built at the instigation of Miss Cara Thomas. It cost £4,000 and replaced a very plain C19 church of nave, chancel, S porch and bellcote with wooden windows. In 1800 there was only a nave remaining, and in 1840 that was ruinous. Some repairs were done c. 1890 and the church was called modern in 1910. The Rev Theophilus Evans was rector 1738-63, prose writer in Welsh and grandfather of Theophilus Jones, the county historian. Both are buried here. William Williams, Pantycelyn, was Evans curate.

Exterior

Church, rubble stone in mixed colours, with red sandstone dressings and tooled quoins. Roofs of graded pale slates overhanging at eaves. Single roof with coped E gable and cross finial. Tower has more regular stonework. Nave S wall has small 2-light each side of a gabled porch against a shallow wall-projection with sloping roof. Porch has finely detailed doorway with chamfered sides, square head and moulded surround with castellated top. Above is an important C9 carved stone with a cross in a circle over a human figure and a spiral pattern. Side walls are set back slightly, single light to W with curved headstone. White stone flag floor within. Stepped buttress to nave right, then chancel has two segmental-pointed three-light windows before wall steps in and has a pair of similar two-light windows, close set. E end has very wide segmental pointed window set high, with five lights with shaped heads separated by broad red stone mullions or piers. N side has flat-roofed vestry, apparently altered or incomplete with brick parapet. Eroded red stone N doorway with good oak door. Rendered lean-to organ chamber to right (intended for rebuilding). Nave N wall has outline of 4-bay arcade (intended for an aisle), bricked-in and rendered with red sandstone 2-light window in each arch. Basement door under W bay.
Added W tower is plain in local manner, with plinth and corbelled flat parapet, recessed pyramid roof and weathercock. Two-light cusped louvred bell-lights and small loops at mid-height. Three-light W window with cusped lights under an elliptical arch with stone voussoirs.

Interior

Rendered walls with dressings in grey rubble stone. W end has tall pointed arch with stone voussoirs framing a lower broad pointed arch. Panelled timber screen across with matching double doors, and cresting of half-rounds. 1927 tower has beamed ceiling, chamfered W corners. Nave N wall has rubble stone arcade of 4 pointed arches with square piers, rubble stone and stone voussoirs. Each bay is infilled with one 2-light window. S wall has cambered headed 2-light to right, over cambered-headed radiator recess, S door in rough stone pointed arch with tooled-stone tympanum over cambered-headed door, another two windows over radiator recesses. Single roof, narrowed in chancel. Nave has alternate trusses, two broad arch-braced collar trusses with brattished cambered collars, and braces carried on wall posts, and two tie-beam trusses with octagonal kingpost carrying four arched strut.
Chancel is narrower, framed by grey rubble piers with a pointed squinch arch at top of angle between pier and nave wall. Red stone foundation plaque to right jamb, 10/8/1915. Roof has three arch-braced collar trusses with low cambered collars, brattishes on top. Two white stone steps to chancel, one to sanctuary and two to altar. Side walls have a tall segmental-pointed transeptal opening each side framed in grey rubble stone, then a pair of two-light windows set high in single segmental-pointed opening without the stone framing. The very broad five light E window is higher still, in segmental-pointed reveal. N side tall arch frames organ. To right is grey stone doorway to vestry with well-crafted framed plank door with wrought iron hinges. Wall cupboard to right with delicate wrought iron hinges, in plain ashlar surround. S side matching tall arch frames a three-light window, radiator recess below. Under left windows is fine red stone sedilia with hollow-moulded shouldered surround, with pyramid stops, cambered cusped head. Stone seats, boarded back. Linked to left is piscina recess, shouldered with wood shelf. E end has large Gothic oak reredos and panelling each side, c. 1918. Two bays of panelling each side with rosettes in cornice and traceried upper panels. Reredos is framed by tall panelled piers with statue on half-octagonal shaft, St Cadmarch to left, St David to right, each under ogee niche. Panelled 5-bay centre with wider centre bay, blind tracery to heads. Cornice with rosettes and top cresting. The very broad E window above has thick red stone piers between lights.
Fittings: sandstone octagonal font tapered below to round shaft. Damaged medieval octagonal font on floor, chamfered below. Fine pulpit in red sandstone ashlar with three-sided front with moulded border, cross in relief and cornice with bosses. Base has a centre projecting square pier. Stone steps up. Oak book-rest lectern 1916 with fine pierced tracery to sides, on octagonal carved shaft. Pews with simple squared ends. Similar stalls with shaped ends. Organ by Vowles. Simple timber altar rails on 4 posts. Timber altar table on four heavy front piers each with carved roundel. Stepped lintels between posts.
Stained Glass: E window war memorial unveiled 1921. Fine five light in late Gothic style: Crucifixion in centre, Suffer the Children and Light of World to left, Mary Magdalene and Lamb of God to right.
Memorials: plaque to Rev D. Lloyd Isaac died 1876, marble with hand on cross. Rustic Gothic plaque to Joseph Richards of Cwmbryn Llanlleonfel, died 1841, signed Davies of LL. War Memorial plaques probably by Caroe. Marble plaque to Theophilus Jones, author of the History of Breconshire, died 1812, by Davies of Builth.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* for its exceptional architectural interest as one of the best early C20 churches in Wales, illustrative of the Arts and Crafts approach to Gothic design.

External Links

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.