Church of St Gredifael

Church of St Gredifael

A simple rural church in early Decorated style, comprising a nave and chancel with a north chapel off the nave and a southwest porch. Built of roughly dressed gritstone masonry in courses, with large quoins and raking plinth. Some Norman carved stones with chevron pattern are built into the south wall of the chancel. The roof is of thin slates with stone copings and gable apex cross finials. A west gable bellcote for two bells is surmounted by a cross finial.

Both nave and chancel retain many original windows and doorways. The east chancel window has three trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a pointed arched frame. The north wall contains two windows with paired trefoiled lights in a square frame; the south wall east window is similarly detailed, while another has a single trefoiled light. Between the two south windows is an original pointed arched doorway with chamfered jambs with broach-stops.

The north wall of the nave has an original single trefoiled light and another window formed from a partially blocked doorway with chamfered jambs; the upper part was rebuilt as a round head. The south wall has a single window similar in detail to the paired lights of the chancel. The pointed arched south doorway has quarter round moulded jambs. The west window has three trefoiled lights in a pointed arched frame; the central light has a battlemented transom.

The north chapel and southwest porch were both added to the nave in the early 15th century. Both have original windows in their east walls with single trefoiled lights; the chapel window is in a square frame. The outer porch doorway is a pointed arch with chamfered jambs and a moulded label. Entry to the church is through the pointed arched inner porch doorway.

The nave has an exposed roof of six bays and the chancel four bays, both retaining repaired 16th-century pegged archbraced trusses. The chancel has diagonally set tongue and groove panelling. The pointed chancel arch is of two chamfered orders with corresponding responds and plain chamfered imposts and bases. The arch to the north chapel is an early 15th-century pointed arch of two hollow-chamfered orders with chamfered responds.

Set into the south wall of the chancel is a late 14th or early 15th-century sedile with hollow chamfered jambs and a pointed arched head. Above the sedile is a stone carved with a shield bearing the Tudor arms, similar to two stones on the outside east wall of the chancel, dating to around 1400.

The sanctuary is raised by two steps with a moulded rail on trefoiled panels. The reredos is of cusped ogee-headed panelling. The east window central light bears an image of the crucifixion, with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the surrounding windows.

The north chapel, also known as the Tudor Chapel, contains a late 14th-century alabaster tomb formerly sited in the chancel. The tomb is thought to have originally come from the destroyed friary church at Llanfaes following the dissolution. The altar-tomb bears recumbent effigies of Gronw Fychan and his wife. The tomb has a moulded base etched with the outlines of weepers and alternating canopied and cinquefoiled panels containing suspended shields. The shields at the sides bear the faintly scratched arms of Tudor, while two others at the heads of the effigies bear the arms of the Passion. Gronw Fychan is depicted wearing armour with a surcoat bearing the Tudor arms, and his wife in costume of the period. Both have their heads resting on cushions held by angels and their hands in prayer. Gronw has his feet resting on a lion, while his wife's feet rest on two dogs.

Also in the chapel is a late 15th-century beam refixed at the base of the roof, which bears carved conventional running leaf ornament and is thought to have been part of a former gallery.

There is also a 15th-century altar tomb set into a recess in the north wall of the chapel. The tomb has plain sides with a chamfered base and moulded top slab. The recess has moulded jambs with attached shafts bearing moulded capitals and a pointed arch with an ogee moulded label with scroll terminals, crocketted finial and side pinnacles. In the southeast corner of the chapel is a simple altar tomb to Richard Hughes of Bryngo, died 1715.

The chapel window is early 15th-century and bears a Tudor Rose, representing the Houses of Lancaster and York, over a portcullis representing the arms of the Beaufort family. Around the window is the motto: UNDEB FEL RHOSYN YW AR LAN AFONYDD AC FEL TY DUR AR BEN Y MYNYDDD (Unity is like a rose on a river bank and like a house of steel on top of a mountain), the 'TY DUR' being a pun on the name TUDOR.

The church contains 17th and 18th-century memorials: to Mary, daughter of Rowland Bulkeley of Porthamel, died 1683, bearing the Bulkeley arms; to Conningesby Williams died 1707 bearing the arms of Ednyfed Fychan; to CW died 1707; and to Harri Williams died 1783.

The fittings are mid-19th-century, with pew ends bearing fleur de lys thought to be a reference to Katherine de Valois, wife of Henry Tudor. To the rear of the church is an enclosed area faced with ogee headed panelling, with double doors opening into the area where the font stands. The font is flanked by two 'rooms' forming the vestry.

The late 14th or early 15th-century font is a plain octagonal stone bowl with chamfered base.