Church of St Ffraid

Church of St Ffraid

This church comprises a west tower, wide single-chamber nave and chancel, south porch, and north vestry. It is built of rubble stone with small slate roof tiles and tile cresting, and has a shallow plinth with heavy sandstone dressings to 19th-century openings.

The tower is narrow and three-stage, with battlemented parapets above a moulded string course. On the south side is a narrow doorway with a round-arched head and continuous chamfered stone moulding, containing a boarded door, with a small pointed lancet to its left displaying coloured glass. The west end has a large round-arched window to the middle stage with hollow moulding and stone sill, featuring diamond quarry glazing. Belfry openings to the south, east, and west sides all have heavy 19th-century-style surrounds with shallow pointed-arched heads and hoodmoulds. At the west end of the nave, flanking the tower, are single cinquefoiled lights; the right-hand one replaces an earlier taller window.

The south side of the nave and chancel has a porch to the left of centre, with a single window to its left and two windows to its right. The porch is gabled with kneelers and raised copings, diagonal buttresses with offsets, and a pointed-arched entrance with several orders of roll mouldings and hoodmould. A diamond-shaped stone tablet in the gable is dated 1838. A lancet window stands to each side of the porch with coloured margin glazing. Inside the porch are narrow benches. A shallow pointed-arched doorway with chamfered surround containing double boarded doors opens into the nave. The three windows lighting the nave and chancel are two-light with pointed-arched heads, roll mouldings, and hoodmoulds, with cinquefoiled lights. Butt joints for earlier taller windows survive, probably from the 18th century.

The east gable is roughcast with kneelers and raised copings, surmounted by a cross. A four-light east window in Perpendicular style has cinquefoiled lights and a quatrefoil to the apex, with hoodmould. The north side of the church is cut into a steep bank. A gabled vestry at the far left has a single pointed-arched light to its east side with hollow moulding. An area of brickwork to the north possibly relates to a former chimney. One window to the right of the vestry is in a similar style.

The interior has a high and wide nave and chancel with a gallery to the west end. The nave has a four-bay arched-brace roof with posts resting on a rail below wall plate level; the roof is panelled to the underside between exposed rafters. An ornate cusped rood beam, probably inserted later, is a king-post truss with struts supported on braces. The short chancel and sanctuary has a wood-panelled wagon roof. The gallery to the west end has a wood-panelled front supported on two wooden posts with chamfered angles and moulded caps, and Royal arms attached to the front. Underneath the gallery is a panelled door with traceried tympanum under a Tudor arch leading to the tower and gallery stairs. To the rear of the gallery are two panelled doors under a moulded round arch with cusped Y-tracery and head bosses: the right one leads to stairs to ground level; the left one to a landing with a ladder ascending to the bell chamber. A four-tier gallery with benches and a box-pew occupies the south side.

The nave has a central aisle flanked by open panelled pews. A wood-panelled vestibule with half-lit coloured margin glazing stands at the entrance. Nearby is an octagonal stone font with foliage decoration, probably from the 19th century. A square wood-panelled pulpit with chamfered angles sits in the southeast corner. One step leads up to the chancel; a further step leads to the altar and 18th-century wooden altar rails. Half-height blind wooden panelling with arched-headed panels flanks the altar on the walls above. Wooden commandment boards with Y-tracery are positioned above. Panelling continues on the north and south walls with diamond panelling above. A doorway with pointed-arched head on the north wall leads to the vestry, with hatchments above to the left.

The north wall carries a white marble tablet with pedimented head commemorating members of the Dungannon family, mainly from the 19th century. Small tablets are set on the south wall. Stained glass includes an east window showing the Last Supper in memory of Sir Thomas Storey (died 1898) of Plas Nantyr and his wife, dedicated by Alfred Edwards, Archbishop of Wales. Three windows attributable to David Evans are on the north and south walls, including one near the porch showing the coat of arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Victoria Royal Arms. A World War I memorial occupies the central window of the south wall.