Church of St Garmon

Church of St Garmon

This is a parish church built in rubble stone with slate roofs and coped gables. It comprises twin single-roofed sections: a north nave with a west bellcote, and a south aisle with a south porch.

The exterior displays a mix of work from different periods. The nave has a west arched door with double-chamfered moulding. The bellcote dates to 1870 and is broad at its base with battered sides rising to an ashlar top. It contains two pointed openings and is topped with a coped gable featuring gabled kneelers and a cross finial. The south aisle has one 19th-century west lancet window and a straight joint where it meets the nave.

The north side features an 18th-century coved eaves cornice and three ashlar arched windows of around 1736 with pilaster jambs, keystones and moulded sills. These windows contain leaded lights supported on iron internal frames. A buttress stands to the left, followed by one chancel Gothic two-light window of around 1870. The east wall appears to have been refaced around 1870 and contains a three-light Gothic window of that date. The south aisle has a large 18th-century arched east window, similar in design to the side windows but considerably larger. The south wall features a chimney of around 1870 to the right, a coved cornice, and three arched windows of around 1736.

The south porch is positioned between the first and second windows on the south wall. It has an ashlar front of around 1736 with a broad flattened arch flanked by rusticated jambs and rusticated stone voussoirs and keystone. The outer angles are emphasised with rusticated quoins. Above runs a cornice moulding, supporting the shoulders of a moulded gable coping that stops at the apex for a ball finial. The porch interior is plastered and contains two stone benches. The inner doorcase dates to around 1736 and is executed in ashlar with an arched opening, pilastered jambs and a fluted keystone. The door itself is a studded plank affair fitted with strap hinges.

The interior is exceptionally fine. The two main sections are divided by a timber colonnade of around 1733, comprising five bays. The colonnade has thick octagonal oak columns with classical moulded capitals. Diagonal bracing to the timber valley beam was presumably added in 1870. A broad plaster cove moulding runs above.

The nave features a nine-bay late medieval roof with cusped windbraces and arch-braced collar trusses with angle struts above. Some timbers are chamfered, others hollow-moulded. The last two bays were formerly ceiled and the timbers are more heavily ornamented. The nave has pine pews and slate floor slabs. An unusual 18th-century marble bowl font sits on a baluster stem, inscribed "Rhodd Edward Thelwell o Llanbeder 1734" (a gift from Edward Thelwell of Llanbeder). The pulpit, presumably by J Douglas and dating to around 1870, is octagonal timber work with a carved band of leaf and rose decoration over an arched panel and a stone base. An eagle lectern also dates to around 1870. The chancel has encaustic tiles and a slate floor, with an altar and reredos of 1942. An east window stained glass depiction of the Ascension dates to around 1926 and was made by W Glasby of London. A north window with patterned glass featuring the symbols of the Evangelists dates to 1870. Pine stalls date to around 1870.

An outstanding hanging late medieval chandelier occupies the interior. It has a hexagonal stem with three tiers of six branches, crocketted decoration and a statuette of the Virgin, dating to the late 15th or early 16th century.

Memorials in the chancel and nave include a brass plaque to Wilson Jones of Gelligynan, died 1864, and a brass plaque to the Reverend H Pennant, died 1731. West memorials record the Reverend Simon Evans, died 1753 (slate and marble with cherub and skull), the Reverend J Venables, died 1782, the Jones family of Plasynpant (1727-66), and Elizabeth Williams of Bodidris, died 1799. A crude pedimented memorial commemorates J Jones of Plasdu, died 1835.

The south aisle has a similar nine-bay roof with traces of ceiling in the last two bays. Windows retain original iron inner bars supporting the leading. The west end serves as a vestry. A painted royal arms signed 1740 by David Davies appears on the south wall. An organ by Conacher of Huddersfield stands at the east end.

The south aisle memorials include two medieval floor effigies: one of a worn priest from the early 14th century, and another of high quality depicting Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ab Ynyr of Bodidris, around 1320, in armour on a tomb chest with trefoil arcading. On the south wall stands an outstanding Stuart effigy memorial to Evan Lloyd of Yal (Bodidris), 1639, with a triple arch in which the effigy appears in the outer arches and a centre plaque with an inscription unusually in Welsh (comparable to the John Trevor of Trefalun monument at Gresford). Also on the south wall is a marble Baroque monument with cherub heads to Sir Evan Lloyd of Bodidris, died 1700, with arms and cherub heads, and a crude Baroque memorial with draped plaque in painted stone to Jane Davies of Bwlch Iarll, died 1723. In the vestry are a painted wood plaque to Evan Davies of Reryrys, died 1759, a marble plaque to Evan Jones, died 1743, and a crude pedimented plaque to W Jones of Ty Isaf, died 1813. A west window stained glass depicting St German dates to around 1921 and was made by A L and C E Moore.