Church of St Cadfan

This cruciform church in 19th-century Gothic style was built around the core of a 12th-century church. It comprises a central tower, aisled nave, and south porch. The nave, aisles, north transept, and tower are constructed of rubble stone, while the south transept is built of snecked stone, as are the east and south walls of the chancel. The roofs are slate, mostly set behind coped gables on moulded kneelers. Window dressings are mainly of Bath stone.

Exterior

The war-memorial south porch is lower than the south aisle and built of snecked rock-faced stone, battered at the base. It has a round arch with later recessed glazed doors and an overlight. The left side wall contains a single narrow window, and the right side wall has two windows. The lean-to south aisle features a small square-headed window immediately right of the porch and an inserted or enlarged window further right. The clerestorey has four small round-headed 12th-century windows.

The south transept has a window of three main lights but no tracery lights, under a segmental pointed head and hood mould with head stops. On the east side of the transept is a shallow projection in the angle with the chancel, under a hipped lean-to stone roof. It contains a boarded door with strap hinges under a shouldered head, leading to the tower's stair turret. A narrow barred window sits in the splayed angle between transept and chancel.

The chancel has a two-light geometrical south window under a hood mould with head stops. The east window comprises three stepped lights under a linked hood and head stops. The chancel has diagonal east buttresses. On the north side, set back from the east end, is a lean-to vestry with a single pointed light in the east wall and a pointed door and window in the north wall.

The late medieval north transept has diagonal buttresses and a three-light window inserted in 1884, similar to the south transept, beneath the relieving arch of an earlier window. The north aisle has a boiler room at the east end under a catslide roof, with stone steps and railings leading to a boarded door in its west wall, slightly below ground level. Further right is a stepped buttress, a three-light wood-framed domestic-style window with diamond leaded glazing, and a small window further right. The clerestorey has four small 12th-century round-headed windows, of which the easternmost has been renewed in a heavy Bath stone surround.

On the west side, the nave has a stepped battered plinth projecting in front of the remainder of the elevation—all that remains of the early 18th-century tower—but otherwise there is no structural break between the nave and aisle west walls. The nave has three round-headed west windows and a bullseye window in the gable. The south aisle has an inserted mid-20th-century west window.

The two-stage tower has a higher octagonal south-east turret. In the east and west walls, the lower stage has two narrow shoulder-headed lights. The belfry has pairs of pointed bell openings with louvres. The parapet, set on a corbel table, has stepped battlements and blind arrow loops.

Interior

Inside the porch are war-memorial tablets above window level and an added 1939–45 memorial tablet in the west wall. The roof has closely spaced rafters. The south aisle's south doorway is segmental-headed with prominent voussoirs. It has a 20th-century boarded door, but on the inner side are battens and strap hinges from the previous door.

The main church has plastered interior walls. The nave has 12th-century three-bay north and south arcades with low round plastered piers with simple capitals and round arches. The responds at the east end are square. Round piers at the west end demonstrate that the nave was originally at least one bay longer before the tower was built at the end of the 17th century. Clerestorey windows have round rere-arches, except for the end windows in the south wall, which have square heads. The five-bay late medieval nave roof has corbelled arched braces, windbraces, and added tie beams. In the north aisle, three of the piers have arched buttresses and trusses that survive the restoration of 1884. Likewise, the south transept has trusses earlier than 1884, which are also supported on unusual arched struts resting on the capitals of the piers.

The 19th-century crossing arches, in 13th-century style, have an outer continuous order and an inner order on shafts with head corbels. Beneath the tower is a heavy framed ceiling. The transepts have roofs of closely spaced arched braces and plastered round arches at the ends of the aisles. The north transept also has a pointed window and a pointed boarded door to the vestry.

The chancel has a boarded wagon roof with moulded ribs and an embattled cornice. Wood panelling around the walls, incorporating blind Gothic arches with delicate tracery, is partly dated 1910, and an integral reredos, which also incorporates shields bearing Passion symbols, is dated 1908. The east window has rere-arches with ringed shafts.

Furnishings and Fittings

The square font is chamfered at the angles, stands on a squat octagonal stem and square base, and is late medieval. Late 19th-century pews have shaped ends. The polygonal wooden pulpit has open Gothic panels. The altar rail has a moulded wooden rail on iron uprights with scrolled brackets.

Medieval Memorials

There are three medieval memorials. In the north aisle is a tall early Christian stone with a Latin cross and an inscription in Welsh—one of the earliest recorded uses of the Welsh language in a Christian context. Two effigies are set in the north wall of the chancel, probably placed there following the restoration in 1884. The early 14th-century effigy of a priest shows his head beneath a gabled canopy and feet on mutilated lions. The effigy of a knight, of around 1350, has feet resting on a headless animal, probably a dog. The shield is too mutilated to identify the knight, although the effigy has traditionally been identified as Gruffydd ab Adda of Dolgoch.

Later Memorials

Other memorials are wall tablets, mostly salvaged from the previous church and reinstated after its restoration. In the chancel north wall is a classical marble memorial to Vincent Corbet (died 1723). The inscription panel has an apron with foliage and a winged cherub, an open pediment, and an achievement with garland. Further right is a simple classical memorial to Anne Maurice (died 1767) and family. It has an inscription panel, apron, entablature with painted coat of arms, and a shallow cambered moulded cornice.

In the south wall is a Gothic-style wall tablet to Lewis Vaughan (died 1877), under a cinquefoiled arch and gabled canopy, with a classically dressed woman in high relief. Next to it is a plain marble tablet to the Reverend William Lewis and his wife (died 1716 and 1698). Further right is a rococo tablet to Atheluston Owen (died 1731), by Sir Henry Cheere. It has a corbelled inscription panel over a running-dog frieze and an apron bearing an inscription to his wife Anne (died 1766). It is surmounted by an urn against a roundel under a scrolled pediment with achievement. Scrolled wings are further enriched with husk garlands.

In the south transept is a simpler tablet with cornice and apron to Richard Edwards (died 1785) and family by John Carline of Shrewsbury. Below it is a small brass to Rupert Kettle (died 1908). In the north transept, the west wall has a simple brass to William Kettle (died 1930), and in the north wall is a brass panel in a stone pedimented surround to Louis de Saumese (died 1788). In the south wall, a severe classical tablet to Edward Scott (died 1842) has an inscription panel and pediment. Below it is a plain brass to Griffith Evans (died 1923). To its left is a plain small brass to Ann Dafydd (died 1785) with an inscription in Welsh.

Stained Glass

Several windows have stained glass. The chancel and transept windows form a set and are probably therefore by the same glassmaker. The east window shows Christ in Majesty and scenes from the Passion. The south transept shows the Nativity, and the north transept shows the Virgin Mary and Saints Peter and Cadfan (all of whom had altars dedicated to them in the medieval church). The chancel south window, post-1944, shows the Adoration of the Magi in conservative style. The west window shows Saints Matthew, David, and Cadfan, dated 1883. In the south aisle, the west window depicts the child Christ, post-1941 by Wippell & Co of Exeter. In the south aisle, the small window shows Mary and Jesus; the larger window probably depicts the death of the Virgin.