Church of Saint Cynog

Church of Saint Cynog

This is a parish church built in rubble stone with slate roofs. It comprises a west tower, a long nave and chancel under one roof, and a south porch.

The tower is very broad and square, with a chamfered plinth and a corbelled embattled parapet. It has simple slots for bell-openings fitted with timber louvres. On the south side are two chamfered loops, and the north side also has two chamfered loops below the bell-opening, alongside a slightly projecting stair tower that reaches to below bell level with a rough sloping offset. The east side has a small square opening below the bell-opening and just above the roof ridge. The slate pyramid roof dates from 1860 and carries a weathervane.

The nave and chancel have an overhanging roof at the eaves. The windows are of 1860 in Bath stone, of simple cusped lancet type, single or paired to the nave. The south side of the nave has a single window to the left of the porch and two pairs to the right; the north side has two pairs. The broad gabled south porch has its front wall rebuilt in 1860 in squared stonework with a chamfered four-centred grey stone entrance and yellow limestone finial. Inside the porch are stone flags, stone seats, 19th-century collar-rafters, and a 14th-century four-centred chamfered stone south door with diagonal stops. An 1860 door has iron strap hinges.

The south wall of the nave and chancel has a high battered base. On the nave south wall are two affixed plaques: one to Thomas Prosser of Tyddu, died 1777, by H. Davies of Gwenddwr; the other to W. Williams, died 1835. The chancel south has much 19th-century stonework around a grey stone 1860 single lancet to the left and a pair to the right. Between these is a centre Bath stone 1860 pointed chamfered south door with a hoodmould and stone voussoirs, fitted with an 1860 door with iron strap hinges.

The east wall has a battered base which appears to have been rebuilt, with a triple cusped lancet window under a single pointed hoodmould. Several affixed late 18th to early 19th-century stone plaques are present, recording the deaths of David Davies of Beili Brith (1818), William Davies of Ysgirfechan (1785), William Jones, gent., of Pant (1806), and R. Thomas of Lloegr, gent (1776). The chancel north has two restored 14th-century cusped lancets. Between the chancel north and nave north is a butt joint to a height of some 1.7 metres, with quoins on the nave side. The nave north wall base has a slight slope.

Interior

The walls are plastered. The long roof has twelve plain arched-braced collar trusses with pegs to the collars but nails or bolts to the braces. Plain square rafters are laid above the collars the length of the church, probably for a removed ceiling.

A pointed chamfered west door enters the tower with hollow-moulded stops and an 1860 door. The tower walls are very thick; entry from the nave is crudely cambered-headed inside with long voussoirs. The south and north loop lights have similar long voussoirs to deeply splayed reveals. A stone winding tower stair with a Tudor-arched door is on the tower north wall. An 1860 timber ceiling is fitted to the tower.

The nave has 1860 segmental-pointed reveals to the windows. A medieval plain curved stoup stands to the left of the south door. One step with a medieval screen leads to the chancel, which has a stone flagged floor with four incised floor slabs, one of the 17th century recording Roger Vaughan, and three of the 18th century. One step rises to the sanctuary with altar rails, and one further step to the altar. The chancel south door has a cambered head and segmental pointed reveals to the 19th-century south windows, while the medieval north windows have plastered rounded reveals. A piscina is set in the south wall.

The most important fitting is a 14th-century screen of three bays. The wide outer bays have a chamfered mid-rail, recessed wave moulding to the piers and head, and arched angle brackets. The centre is narrower and the brackets join to make a pointed entry. The top beam is minimally moulded with a restored top. 19th-century boarding is fitted below the mid-rail. The mid-rail on the north part has dowel holes on its upper side.

A grey stone font, similar to that at Llandefaelog Fach, has a circular bowl with tapered underside to a round shaft and is possibly of the 13th century, set on an 1860 step. Two bells removed from the tower are positioned by the font; a third remains in the bell-stage.

The 1860 furnishings include plain pine stalls and pews with shaped bench ends and an open-fronted kneeler to the stalls. The pulpit stands on a massive moulded stone three-sided base with a chamfered plinth and steeply sloped top, with four Bath stone flying steps on the north. The pulpit itself is oak, three-sided, with blind simple tracery to the panels. A plain 19th-century timber bookrest lectern and plain 1860 timber altar rails with top and bottom rails and six chamfered posts with plain triangular angle brackets complete the fittings.