Church of St Peter ad Vincula

Church of St Peter ad Vincula

This is a substantial rural church with roots in the medieval period, much modified and restored in the 19th century. The building is constructed of local coursed dolerite, some recovered from a nearby Roman fort, and was formerly rendered. It has a slate roof.

The church comprises a nave and chancel in a single body, with a 19th-century porch added to the south side and a slate-hung bellcote rising through the roof at the west end, capped with a pyramidal slate roof and weathercock. The south door is wide with a flat arch of radial voussoirs. Four rectangular windows with similar flat arches run along the south side, probably 18th century but rebuilt; the easternmost was cut down as a door and subsequently blocked. Similar windows appear on the north side. The south porch has a gabled form with a round-headed chamfered outer arch and small rectangular windows on each side. A large round-headed window occupies the east end, whilst a single round-headed lancet window appears at the west end. The floor is laid with quarry tiles. A vestry was added to the north side in 1903, marked by a pronounced gable terminating in a cross.

The interior is a wide single-cell structure spanning 9 roof bays. The roof comprises arch-braced collar trusses, save for the westernmost truss which has a tie beam and three posts with angled struts. Early 16th-century timbers were reused when the roof was reconstructed in 1873. The walls are plastered, with the plaster carried up the roof slope to conceal the feet of the principal rafters. The quarry-tiled floor steps up by one full width to the sanctuary area.

The church contains considerable fittings and furnishings of interest. The font is an inverted bell-shaped limestone bowl with a rope rim, mounted on an 18th-century baluster support and set on a raised quarry-tiled plinth. The pulpit incorporates 18th-century fret-carved panels reset in the 19th century. The pews, including cross pews for the choir, are fielded panelled work, probably 18th century and similarly reset. An altar rail of continuous balustered form curves inward at the ends. The reredos retains similar 18th-century fielded panelling. A three-bay 18th-century timber arcade survives at the rear of the church from a gallery that was removed during 19th-century restorations.

The stained glass is notable. The east window shows an Ascension, made around 1873 by Holland & Holt of Warwick. The north side east window dates to 1928. On the south side, the eastern window depicts Christ receiving the children, by Ward & Hughes of London, 1893; the western window shows the Heavenly City, dated 1920.

The church displays a substantial collection of monuments spanning from the 18th to the 20th centuries. On the east wall is a corniced tablet with arms by Marshall of Shrewsbury to Jonathan Anwyl JP of Llugwy (died 1852); a monument to Captain Maurice Anwyl; a corniced tablet with arms to Lewis Edwards of Talgarth (died 1797) and Pryce Edwards; and an alabaster tablet to William Allen FRCS of the Bengal Medical Service (died 1885) and his wife. The north wall carries, from east to west, a white marble monument on grey by J S Westmacott, featuring a drooping sail, anchor and rope with a cross above, commemorating Captain Charles Thrustan of Pennal Towers (died 1858); a white marble tablet to Reverend John Rowlands, curate, drowned in the Dovey in 1831; a marble monument on grey-green granite to Clement Thrustan of Pennal Towers and family members; a white marble tablet on grey by T R Jones of Llanbrynmair to Mary Lascelles of Penmaendyfi (died 1917), her husband Captain Arthur Lascelles VC (died 1918), and two sons; a small white marble tablet on shaped slate with coloured arms to Hugh Vaughan of Maes-y-gwern-goch (died 1917); and a composite tablet to Commander Edmund Thruston RN (died 1941 in service of Western Australia).

The south wall displays further monuments, including a tall white marble tablet on grey field with a sunburst IHS in a pediment to Eliza Thruston (Sotheby) of Talgarth (died 1840); a white marble tablet on grey by W Pistell of London in the form of a tapered and corniced chest with urn over, to Frances Thruston (died 1828); an elaborate white marble tablet supported by grey marble scrolls with a pyramid of grey marble above carrying four profile busts and shields with drapery, to Humphrey Edwards of Talgarth (died 1772) and his children; a white marble corniced tablet with urn against a black field by John Carline the Younger of Shrewsbury to Reverend Maurice Annwyl (died 1832) and family; a limestone panel with four arches and coloured arms above, copied from a graveyard monument to four members of the Annwyl family (died 1721-1817); a pilastered white marble tablet with pediment, acroteriae and book by Dodson of Shrewsbury to Reverend Lewis Hughes of Gogarth (died 1855); a white marble tablet on grey with shaped top and painted and gilded arms to Robert Anwyl JP of Llugwy (died 1933) and wife; a white marble monument on black with bold cornice breaking forward and urn to Richard Matthews of Esgair Llyverin (died 1824) and wife; a white tablet on grey with tapered head flanked by upturned torches and urn over the cornice by Soward & Son of London, commemorating the children of Richard Matthews—Oliver (died 1831 while bathing in the Dovey), Richard, a sister, and Vernon (died 1849 in the California goldrush); a white marble tablet on black to Georgina Ruck (died 1872); and a brass tablet set in slate by Walter of London showing a reclining grieving lady, to Blanche, Emily and Parker Thruston.

Three Flemish carved oak panels of around 1700 from the Antwerp School survive within the church, each showing busts in oval frames with pediments above and scrolled supports, representing Saints Andrew, Jude and Paul with crossed weapons below indicating their martyrdom. A fourth panel depicting Saint Hubert was stolen in the 1980s. A draped figure of a distressed woman also forms part of this Flemish group. A Victorian oak panel is believed to commemorate Lleucu Llwyd (1360-1390).

The furnishings include late 17th-century chairs, one of which is upholstered. Two 20th-century paintings hang within the church: one by Aneurin Jones from 1996 depicting the 1406 Cynulliad Cymreig, and two representations of patron saints by Griff Owen from 1983-4.