Church of Saint Beuno (aka St Beuno)

The Church of Saint Beuno is a building of predominantly 18th-century origin, but incorporating fabric from an earlier church. The building is constructed of random rubble with freestone dressings and has slate roofs with red tiled cresting. It comprises a nave with lean-to aisles, a three-stage west tower with a short spirelet, and a chancel with a lean-to north vestry aisle.

The substantial west tower, together with its flanking vestry and porch, dates from 1802. It features angle quoins and string courses defining the stages, with the lower string course replaced in 1875. Oculi and a clock are set in the second stage, also from 1802. A window was inserted in the west wall of the tower in 1875, replacing a doorway. The porch and vestry were also re-roofed and re-windowed in 1875, and a shallow gabled porch was added to the south side at this time. The north aisle has a gabled porch to the west with a red sandstone triple-chamfered arched doorway, and is divided by buttresses into three bays with early gothic windows linked by a continuous impost band. An identically detailed south aisle is present. The chancel has lancet windows of one and three lights, with banded voussoir arches and continuous sill and stepped impost bands. The chancel vestry features a shouldered doorway and a composite triple lancet window with a central foiled light.

The west tower arch, dating from 1875, is constructed of red and white banded stone and has double chamfered arches with corbel heads to the hood mould; it is set within a higher segmental recess, likely a relic of the earlier 1802 church. The nave arcades consist of four bays with alternately octagonal and cylindrical shafts carrying double chamfered arches with continuous hood moulds. Stone corbels support ornate timber roof trusses with raking struts and a king post forming a cross. The moulded chancel arch dies into plain responds, and the chancel has a wagon roof. Tiled floors are throughout, with encaustic tiles to the chancel and sanctuary. The church contains an organ from 1923, replacing an earlier one from 1866, along with pews, choir stalls, and altar rails, likely dating from 1875. A pulpit with marble inlaid panels is also from 1875. The reredos, of 1896, was designed by F.R. Kempson, with figures of Celtic saints carved by Earp and traceried panels carved by May and Collins of Tewkesbury, featuring a low relief panel of Christ at Tiberias within richly worked canopies.

Stained glass includes an east window from 1859 by Hardman (originally from the earlier church’s Venetian window), a southeast window from 1875 by Heaton Butler and Baine, and a west window from 1907 by Powell.

Memorials include three recumbent effigies of Arthur Price of Vaynor (d.1597) and his two wives, originally located on a raised tomb in the pre-1802 church. These were removed during the rebuilding, later resided at the Powysland Museum, Welshpool, and returned to the church in 1948. A memorial to William Owen of Glansevern, d.1837, features a draped urn with a low relief bust by Baily of London, dating from 1838. Various late 18th and early 19th century wall memorials are located in the base of the tower, including a large marble sarcophagus-shaped monument to members of the Owen family of Glansevern, d.1717-1829.