Church of St. Dwywe

Church of St Dwywe

Rural parish church comprising a structurally undivided nave and chancel, with a north chapel and south porch. Built of mortared rubble masonry with freestone dressings and a foundation plinth at the west end. Slate roof with gable copings on shaped kneelers; the east gable has a cross finial and the west gable has a bellcote.

The porch contains a shallow pointed arched doorway with a square label and a datestone in the apex bearing a shield with the initials and date I H S / 1593. To the right are two rectangular windows of paired trefoil-headed lights with hoodmoulds.

The east window has a pointed arched frame and three cinquefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery. The north chapel is in alignment and has two round-headed windows along the east wall. The north wall contains a window of three round-headed lights with hollow chamfered jambs and a single rectangular light above. In the west wall is a door with a flattened three-centred arched head and square groove around the edge, above and to the south of which is a blocked original window of one light under a round arch.

Towards the west end of the north wall is a late 16th-century door with a pointed arch head of rough stone voussoirs, with a modern window of paired trefoil-headed lights above. At the west end is a single lancet window with chamfered jambs and pointed hoodmould; the bellcote has an advanced corbelled base.

The church has an exposed roof of arch-braced collared trusses and cusped windbraces. The east end is panelled to form a canopy over the altar and features a billetted cornice with ornately carved ribs bearing geometric patterned motifs and shaped chamfered dividers. The chapel roof also has arch-braced collared trusses with cusped braces over the collar, descending to wall posts on corbels, one along the west wall bearing the date 1615.

The chapel is divided from the chancel by a fine early 17th-century screen bearing the initials and date W V 1620 (for William Vaughan). The lower portion of the screen is panelled with a carved cornice; the upper part is open with diagonally set timber rails, alternate rails larger with ribbed chamfered angles and run-out stops. Entry to the chapel is through central double doors similarly detailed.

The chapel was built for the Vaughan family of Cors y Gedol and houses a fine collection of memorials. On the east wall is a carved sandstone memorial to Gruffith Vaughan Esq., died 1616, who was the prime mover in the rebuilding of the church and was granted the licence for the chapel's erection. The memorial features paired round-headed arched recesses flanked by engaged columns with stiff leafed foliage at the capitals; each recess houses kneeling figures facing towards a central pier. Above is a billetted cornice to a moulded coping surmounted by three shields of arms and flanked by obelisks on the advanced corners. Below the recesses are two inscribed tablets. The left tablet reads: "HEARE LYETH THE BODIE OF GRUFFTH / VAVGHAN ESQVIER ON OF THE LYVE / TENANTS OF THE COVNTIE OF MERION / ETH HE MARIED KATHERIN ONE OF THE DAVGHTERS OF WILLIAM GRVFFYTH OF / CAERNARVON ESQVIER BY HER HAD ISSVE / TWO SONNES AND FOVR DAVGHTERS / WHO DIED THE 9 DAIE OF NOVEMBER / ANNO DOMIN 1616" and the right tablet reads: "AND IN HIS PERFECT HEALTH HE HATH BE / STOWED ALL HIS CHILDREN WILLIAM / HIS HEIR TO ANE THE INHARETRIX / OF TALHENBONT MARGARET TO / HOOKES OF CONWY HE DECEASED TO / WYN OF CONWY IANE TO RIWGOCH / ANE TO NANEY IONET TO CLAHENE / AND HIS SONE IOHN HE LEFT / HIM VN MARIED." The tablets are set above a corbelled, crudely decorated carved shelf.

Below the window at the north end of the chapel is a stone fireplace with basket-headed arched opening. To the left is an ornate marble memorial on a shaped slate background with a dedication tablet set within floriate decoration; below is a shield bearing the cross saltire, though the tablet itself is weathered and the dedication illegible.

Along the south wall is a series of memorials from right to left (north to south): a marble memorial surmounted by an urn to Margaret Vaughan, daughter and heiress of Evan Lloyd and widow of Richard Vaughan died 1758, and their daughters Ann Vaughan died 1760 and Elizabeth died 1772; a marble memorial surmounted by an ornately patterned urn on a shaped shelf with fluted brackets flanking the west door to Evan Lloyd Vaughan died 1791; a granite and marble memorial surmounted by a draped portrait of William Vaughan, eldest son of Richard and Margaret, died 1775 (rumoured to have been designed by Inigo Jones, though stylistically unlikely); a marble tablet to William Ansell of Cors y Gedol, died 1889.

In the main body of the church are 17th-century gated rails at the entrance to the chancel, comprising a moulded rail on shaped balusters, and a canted rail at the altar formed by a moulded rail on chamfered stanchions. At the west end of the nave is a 16th-century octagonal font. In the southwest corner is a modern vestry with a cornice comprising two beams bearing foliage and pomegranates, possibly taken from the cornice of an ancient screen. On the south wall of the nave is a marble tablet to Reverend Eneon Humffreys died 1731. The east window contains a central light depicting Jesus with John the Baptist: "one faith, one lord, one baptism." The west window is dedicated to William Williams MD and his sisters Ann, Kate, Elizabeth and Mary of Bennar Fawr.