Church of St Aelhaiarn including Outbuilding to W end of N Aisle and outbuilding on W side of Porch

Church of St Aelhaiarn

This Grade I listed church comprises a nave with north and south aisles, a chancel with aisle extensions, a west tower, and a south porch with attached structures. The building spans several centuries from the 12th century onwards, with significant medieval and 19th-century elements.

The south porch features a wave-moulded arch with imposts on part-octagonal capitals and a parvise chamber above. A lean-to structure on the west side was added in 1739 by Thomas Ffoulkes, Hugh Morris Jones, and the Church Wardens to house the parish hearse. The porch contains a 17th-century pattern stair with turned balusters and shaped risers leading to the chamber above, which was reworked in the 19th century. The inner entrance door is 14th-century with plain and hollow chamfered mouldings, and a wide panelled boarded door of 15th-century date with contemporary ironwork was rehung in 1879. A trefoil-headed stoup stands to the right.

Windows throughout the church display varying dates and styles. The south aisle contains windows of one, two, and three lights with trefoil heads, with the eastern window featuring blank cusped panelling between two lights. North aisle windows are similar, with a three-light Perpendicular east window with canted head. The chancel has two-light windows including a 14th-century south window set high, and a five-light east window with panelled tracery. The clerestory contains three-light windows.

The west tower rises in three massive stages with low angle buttresses. The lower stages have single lights, the south example with a rounded head and mask key. A stair incorporated in the north-east side has small perforated stone lights. The bell chamber contains two-light openings. A crenellated parapet was added in the 15th century with corner pinnacles. A small shingled spire was restored in 1961.

The west door of the north aisle has a three-centred head and is studded with the pattern "RP . HR . CW . 1737".

Interior

The nave comprises three bays with columns of four wave mouldings carrying similarly moulded arches. The west bay of the south arcade is occupied by the porch. A late medieval roof features cambered ties and cusped windbraces. The three western bays have intermediate trusses, whilst the east bay is underdrawn by a fine panelled timber ceiling with gilded bosses at the intersections, extending to the east end of the chancel.

The chancel is raised by one step. One arcade bay on each side opens to east extensions of the aisles, with the north aisle extension now serving as the organ chamber. The broad east end is approached by four widely spaced steps, all paved with Maw's encaustic tiles designed by Godwin. A 19th-century panelled reredos carries figures of the Four Fathers of the Church and four Prophets at the ends. A 19th-century piscina is present, and steps to the former rood loft survive in the north-west chancel pier.

The font, positioned at the west end, dates to the 12th or 13th century and comprises an octagonal bowl with four large masks, set on a column with a chamfered base.

The pulpit is 19th-century, octagonal oak on a Mansfield stone base, adorned with three-quarter relief figures of the evangelists.

The pews and screen with elaborate round tracery date to 1879.

The organ has been rebuilt but retains some components from an instrument of around 1830.

The church contains three bells cast in 1781 and 1782 by T. Rudhall of Gloucester, which have been rehung.

Stained Glass

The east window dates to 1891 and depicts the Life of Our Lord, made for W. Curling. The south aisle east window, made for Devereux Mytton in 1910, is of good quality. The south aisle west window was made in 1890 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne.

Monuments and Furnishings

The church retains a fine collection of 21 wall monuments. Among the most important is the white marble monument in the chancel by John Carline the elder and Linell of Shrewsbury to William Edwards of Burgedin, dated 1780. Early 19th-century monuments commemorate the Lloyd family of Trawscoed Hall. A marble monument of 1910 by Gawthorp & Sons, London, honours Captain Devereaux Mytton of Garth. A monument dated 1837 to Mary Mytton was made by Thomas Tyley of Bristol. A kneeling figure with urn, made by Charles Smith of London in 1828, commemorates Reverend Richard Mytton, chaplain to Lord Clive, Governor General of India. The west end of the nave contains seven neo-classical wall monuments to families of local houses including Trawscoed, Broniarth, and Trelydan. The north aisle contains a brass engraved with loose script within a wavy floriated border to Elizabeth Whittingham/Rogers of Varchoel, dated 1676. An alabaster Gothic-style monument with marble columns to Reverend Charles Luxmoore, dated 1863 and commemorating his 43 years as vicar, is also present.

A 17th-century restored chest survives in the vestry.