Church of Corpus Christi (Holy Trinity)

Church of Corpus Christi (Holy Trinity)

The church is long and low, built in local limestone rubble and axe-dressed masonry, roofed in small slates. Large buttresses project from the north and west sides. The porch on the south side and the transept with four large buttresses on the north side are also constructed in axe-dressed masonry, with the porch built in slatey local stone. Gables are coped in freestone to the north, east and west, with a bellcote for a single bell to the west and finial crosses to the north and east. The porch has an open timber-framed front, which was re-timbered in 1970. There is no exterior distinction between nave and chancel. A stone in the south elevation dated 1726 probably refers to repair work.

A Perpendicular style window in the south elevation, west of the porch, contains two trefoil-headed lights under a slightly depressed main arch, slightly lopsided, with the spaces either side of the upper mullion not pierced. A three-light mullioned window in the north elevation is partly encroached upon by a buttress. Other windows in the walls are simple lancets from the 19th-century restoration, occurring singly, in pairs or in threes. Near the west end are mid-roof oak dormer windows in Gothic style. The west door is boarded and not in use, blocked by the organ. The south door is boarded with its frame at the rear, retaining its blacksmith's hinges and overall studding of clenched nails.

Fragments of early carved tombstone crosses have been built into the masonry of the porch.

Interior

The main differentiation of nave and chancel is in the roof structure. The nave contains arch-braced late-medieval collar beam trusses at regular bay spacing, while the chancel has similar but much lighter trusses narrowly spaced to support a lost barrel ceiling. Part of the nave at the south-west corner has been screened as a vestry. Plain pews occupy the nave, transept and choir, with decorative finials on the end panels. A choir pew on the left is designed to fold forward to reveal the heraldic band of the wall tomb. An octagonal oak pulpit stands at the right. The altar is carved in Gothic style with a three-panel front, and panelling on the east wall includes a lower recessed section behind the altar.

The principal memorial is a 14th-century canopied tomb at the left of the choir, taken to be that of Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug. The canopy is cinquefoil, sub-cusped and heavily moulded, with a label mould bearing male and female terminal heads. The tonsured and vested effigy lies on a ledger with the inscription "Hic iacet David f Kovel f Madoc" (the reading of the second name disputed). Below this is an heraldic frieze with seven shields, some bearing emblems of the Passion. A second effigy, positioned below the transept north window, represents a 13th-century knight, taken to be Sir Robert Pounderling, governor of Dyserth Castle (destroyed 1263). Wall tablets include a plain white marble memorial to Mrs Piozzi (née Hester Lynch Salusbury), 1741-1821, friend of Dr Johnson, erected in 1909 on the north side of the choir.

Medieval stained glass survives in a frame behind the south-west window, with most of two figures apparently in tabernacle work. The east window is by Oliphant, dated 1858, and the chancel side windows and transept north window are by Ballantyne, dated 1858 and 1865 respectively. The south window east of the porch contains 17th-century glass miniature portraits of King James, King Charles (unidentified) and Archbishop Williams.

The font beside the south door is octagonal with Gothic sunk panels.