Church of St Mary

A large parish church mainly in Early English and Decorated styles, comprising an aisled nave with porches, south transept, lower chancel, north vestry and west tower. Built of rubble stone with mostly 19th-century freestone dressings, and slate roof behind coped gables on moulded kneelers.

The Tower

The broad three-stage west tower has angle buttresses in the lower stage to the west, partly obscured by the southwest turret and parish room attached to the north side. The pointed west doorway, said to have been re-used from the abbey chapter house, is 13th century and has polygonal responds with weathered foliage capitals, a similarly weathered arch of four orders, with hood mould and head stops. An offset above the west doorway has relief foliage in the centre, above which the west window is comprised of three stepped 13th-century lights.

On the south side, openings are offset to the right because of the turret. In the lower stage is a renewed window. Below it stone steps lead to the faceted east side of the turret, where there is a studded door. The turret has small superimposed lights. The second stage of the tower has a cusped light in each face. A string course is between the second and third stages, but it does not continue across the turret. Two-light belfry openings have four-centred heads and hood moulds, with louvres. Below the parapet each face has a round clock face painted blue, by Fairer of London, in a freestone surround with hood mould continuous with a string course at the base of the embattled parapet.

The Nave and Aisles

The nave has lean-to aisles with porches at the west ends. On the south side is a post-Reformation gabled porch with an elliptical arch and iron gates. To its right are two single and a pair of lancets in the south aisle. The aisle west wall has similar paired lancets. In the clerestorey is a clear vertical joint between nave and tower, indicating that the clerestorey is a later addition to the nave. It has five quatrefoil lights in roundels to the south side and six to the north side.

On the north side the porch is of half-cruck construction, although concealed on the outside by stone wall on the west and 19th-century timber-framing on the east side. Its gable end has cusped barge boards and its entrance has a pointed timber arch (like a miniature aisle truss) and iron gates. The aisle has paired lancets in 19th-century pale freestone surrounds, and a Perpendicular style east window with red-sandstone dressings, under a narrower relieving arch. At the west end, to the right of the porch, the aisle is continuous with a parish room against the tower. It has a pointed boarded door, buttress, and then pointed and small narrow windows in surrounds of re-used masonry. Its west wall has a pair of pointed lights.

The aisles are shorter than the nave. On the north side, at the east end of the nave is a three-light window with simple bar tracery, flanked by buttresses, of which the right-hand side is obscured by the aisle.

The South Transept

On the corresponding south side is the transept. This has angle buttresses. In the west wall is a two-light window with Y-tracery. A five-light geometrical south window has a hood mould and foliage stops. On the buttressed east side are two three-light windows, one with intersecting tracery and hood mould, the other with reticulated tracery under hood mould with foliage stops.

The Chancel

The two-bay chancel is also buttressed. At the left end is a cusped light in the angle with the transept, superimposed by a narrower cusped light to the rood stair that was added in the late 15th or early 16th century. Further right is a two-light window with lozenge tracery light, below which is a blocked pointed doorway with a sunk roll mould similar to the 14th-century internal transept arches. In the right-hand bay is a two-light geometrical window and hood mould. In the east wall is a string course below sill level. The five-light Perpendicular window is 19th century in red-sandstone surround, below an earlier relieving arch.

On the north side, the right-hand bay has a three-light window with simple bar tracery. In the left-hand bay is an early 14th-century lean-to vestry with gabled projection added in 1925, which has freestone quoins. The original lean-to has a blocked pointed doorway to the left of the projection, and 19th-century windows in the end walls, of which the east is a two-light window under a curved triangular head, and the west window has two cusped lights under a relieving arch. The 1925 projection has a Tudor-headed doorway with studded door on the east side, and triple round-headed lights to the north.

The Porches

The south porch (disused) has stone benches and a single collar-beam truss on brackets. In the west wall is a wall tablet. The pointed south door has a 14th-century studded door. In the north porch are stone benches and a re-set medieval cross slab in the east wall. The pointed north doorway has 20th-century boarded doors.

The Interior

The interior is plastered and windows, including clerestorey, have freestone rere arches. The nave has three-bay early 14th-century arcades of octagonal piers on square bases, with simple capitals, pointed arches with two orders of hollow chamfer, and hood moulds with large head stops. On the south side the broad respond between nave arcade and later transept arch has a cusped niche. The nave has a seven-bay corbelled arched-brace roof with windbraces, and subsidiary trusses behind the purlins. Aisles have trusses on corbelled brackets and windbraces. In both aisles a corbelled shelf is beside the entrance, which on the south side has a shallow round-headed niche. The south aisle also has two arched tomb recesses and a cusped piscina, all 14th century.

The tower arch has two orders of continuous chamfer, and boarded doors with false strap hinges. In the lower stage of the tower is a heavy framed ceiling on corbels. The south transept has pointed arches from nave and aisle, with two orders of sunk roll mould, a plainer outer order and hood mould. In the south transept is a cusped piscina in the south wall, and inserted cupboard below it. The upper section of a winding rood stair survives above the arches at the junction of transept and chancel.

There is no structural division between nave and chancel, except a lower cusped arched brace with struts above. The chancel has a lower eaves line, an arched-brace roof of two wide bays, similar to the nave but without windbraces. On the north side is an arch to the organ recess and vestry. It has two orders of sunk roll moulding, and hood mould with head stops. In the chancel is a floor of re-set grave slabs and 19th-century decorative geometrical-pattern tiles. The sanctuary has richer tile work. The wooden reredos has five blind panels behind the altar, of which the central three are higher, with delicate two-light blind tracery, and similar but lower panels right and left, all under a vine cornice with brattishing. In the south wall, salvaged medieval floor tiles have been assembled to form a large wall panel.

The Rood Screen and Choir Stalls

The major interior fixture is the imposing five-bay rood screen, erected in the period 1488–1504 and well restored in the 19th century. It features the badge of Sir Richard Pole (eagle's claw grabbing a fish), who was constable of Conwy Castle 1488–1504. Each outer bay has a panelled dado under quatrefoil friezes, and four lights with delicate tracery. The central bay has double wooden gates, with an upper tier of linenfold panelling. Main uprights have thin shafts with capitals, below deep ribbed coving and pendants. On the chancel side the coving is given additional support by two later posts. The cornice has two orders of foliage trails, incorporating various motifs including the badge of Sir Richard Pole.

The choir stalls are contemporary with the screen. They are L-plan on both north and south sides, backing on the rood screen, with blind-traceried ends and poppy heads. Original fronts also have blind tracery, but another bench has been added on each side, also with traceried ends, and with later turned balusters to the front.

Other Fittings

The 20th-century communion rail is in wood. In the north aisle is a 20th-century war memorial chapel with screen in a simplified Tudor-Gothic style and a panelled wainscot inside incorporating a roll call. At the west end of the nave is a Tudor-Gothic hymn-book stall of the 20th century, with panel dado and blind arches, then open ogee arches with delicate tracery, foliage cornice and brattishing.

The Perpendicular font is on a stepped plinth. The plinth was probably re-used from elsewhere, although it is illustrated in its present position in 1835. The font is badly weathered but its intricate carving can still be appreciated. It has a lead-lined octagonal bowl with quatrefoils and rosettes. An octagonal pedestal is surrounded by a detached arcade of cusped arches, and buttresses. The pews are 19th century, with shaped ends. The 20th-century late-medieval polygonal wooden pulpit has open cusped tracery.

Memorials

There are numerous monuments, both freestanding tombs and wall tablets. The most important is in the southeast corner of the chancel, a tomb chest with arched hood to Robert Wynn (died 1598) and Robert Wynn (died 1664). Aligned east-west, its west face has relief heraldry and inscriptions on both hood and chest. Other chancel monuments are wall tablets and plaques. Above the Wynn tomb in the east wall is a tablet with relief inscriptions and arms to John Wynn (died 1637), surmounted by pinnacles and achievement. Next to it is a plain brass to Reverend Morgan Morgan (died 1870). On the north side of the altar is a marble tablet to Margaret Coytmor (died 1684), an inscription panel with pilasters, on a winged cherub, surmounted by a flaming urn. Next to it are simpler relief tablets to Anne Apthorp (died 1786) and Katherine Robeson (died 1621). In the north wall a memorial to Mary Owen (died 1837) is a marble tablet with urn against a black background, by E. Gaffin of London. A plain painted tablet in a wooden border is to Jane Fletcher (died 1708). The south chancel wall has grave slabs re-set against the wall with dates 1601, 1586 and 1666, although not all are visible. A classical tablet to Cadwaleder Wynn (died 1719), erected by Watkin Wynn in 1752, has a panel on an apron with cherub, pilasters and entablature. To its left is a simple tablet to Richard Williams (died 1765, aged 11).

In the nave north wall, opposite the south transept, a tablet to George Coytmor and wife (died 1738, 1758) is by B. Bromfield. It is of marble with inlay star patterns, Vitruvian-scroll moulding to the entablature, and pediment incorporating a relief roundel with achievement. A tablet, with pilasters and corbels, partly draped, commemorates Hephzibah Williams (died 1832). A marble tablet to Henry Pringle has flanking inverted torches and an achievement, on a black background.

In the transept east wall is a tablet to Robert Howard and wife (died 1776, 1780), by B. Bromfield and similar to the Coytmor tablet in the nave. Of marble, with inlay star patterns, it has a corbelled apron to a sarcophagus with inscription, and tall pediment with a fluted urn. Next to it is a weathered freestone Renaissance tablet with Latin inscription to Johannes Hooke (died 1600) below kneeling figures in high relief, guilloche-moulded border, and surmounted by pinnacles and achievement. In the south wall is a simple slate tablet to William Holland (died 1703). In the west wall are simple slate tablets to Edward Holland (died 1734) and Jane Williams (died 1694), and freestone tablet to Margaret Roberts. Against the south wall are two chest tombs. Below the piscina is a tomb with slate slab to Robert Williams (died 1760). On the west side is a tomb with cracked freestone slab, coats of arms and two inscriptions, to Sir Edward Holland (died 1584), and William Williams and wife (died 1641, 1677).

In the south aisle are two tomb recesses. The easternmost has a female effigy in low-relief slate. The westernmost has a re-set medieval grave slab. A memorial to the sculptor John Gibson (1790–1866) is by W. Theed of London. It comprises a marble bust in a cusped recess, with hood and foliage stops, below which is a marble inscription panel. There are also wall tablets to Cornelius Foulkes (died 1754) and Thomas Williams (died 1784).

Against the north aisle north wall is a table tomb with slate slab to John Williams (died 1706), on later shaped legs (in 1835 this slab was in the northeast corner of the chancel). The east wall has two marble tablets with black pedimented backgrounds, to Silence Holland (died 1812) by T. Franceys of Liverpool, and Diana and Owen Holland (died 1795). In the north wall is another similar Franceys memorial, to Reverend Hugh Williams and wife (died 1809, 1843). A slate tablet erected by the Burma Star Association commemorates lives lost in the Far East. Marble tablets are to Sir David Erskine (died 1841) and Jane Erskine (died 1826, aged 3). A brass plaque commemorates Elizabeth Roberts. Old grave slabs are set into the north aisle floor.

Stained Glass

The east window, probably dating from Scott's 1872 restoration, depicts the Ascension and Evangelists. The north window, depicting the Last Supper, is by Mayer & Co of London and Munich, post 1882. In the south transept, one east window shows the angel of the Resurrection, post 1870, the other patterned coloured glass dated 1879. The south window has similar patterned glass. The west window shows the Welsh Bible translators William Morgan and William Salesbury, post 1936. In the south aisle, the pair of lancets toward the east end show Saints Mary and Margaret, post 1915. In the west window the pair of lancets depict the single scene of Christ healing the sick, by A.L. Moore of London, post 1912. The east window of the north aisle shows re-set glass showing Christ blessing a child, carrying the cross and with Mary Magdalene, by H Worwick, dated 1854. The north window in the nave shows Christ preaching, post 1888.