Church of St Bilo

Anglican parish church of rubble stone with stone-tiled roofs, comprising a 19th-century west tower, medieval nave and chancel, and south porch. The building stands on ground sloping eastward.

Tower and West Front

The west tower is of rock-faced coursed squared grey stone with regular quoins, broad and square in form with a battered plinth and squat slated broach spire topped by a weathercock. Two small rectangular bell-openings on each side sit under the eaves, fitted with timber louvres. The west wall has a single 19th-century cusped lancet.

Nave: South Side

The nave is of rough rubble stone in red to grey tones, with extensive remnants of limewashed render. The south side has two windows to the left of the porch and one to the right.

Starting from the left, there is a rectangular window in 18th-century style with three lights, oak mullions, diamond leading and a cambered head with stone voussoirs and keystone, and tooled stone sill. The disturbed stone suggests this might be an early 20th-century insertion. Next is a flat-headed 17th-century two-light stone-mullioned window with arched heads to the lights, hollow mouldings, and a large hoodmould.

The south porch has a stone-tiled roof with an ornate arch-braced collar truss. The broad arch is ovolo-moulded, with a king post above the collar. The whitewashed rubble stone side walls are plain, each with a single chamfered rectangular light. Stone seats are recessed within. The porch roof is 15th-century panelled work with arched trusses and moulded axial members. Three trusses, including the front one, are ovolo-moulded; three are unmoulded, and some have been renewed.

The broad medieval south doorway is chamfered and pointed, fitted with an 18th-century plank door inscribed "R Price I. Evans Churchwardens 1767". A recess lies to the right of the doorway, and the side windows have splayed reveals.

To the right of the porch is a large late 17th or early 18th-century rectangular pulpit window extending up to the eaves, with oak plain square mullions, three long lights and diamond-leaded glazing. Below this, reset at ground level, is the grey stone chamfered pointed head of a small lancet, possibly 13th-century.

Five wall plaques are mounted to the right: to Ann Travers of Glasbory, died 1801, by Games; Edward and Walter Vaughan of Tredomen, died 1813 and 1820, with twin oval plaques and low relief drapery, by Hughes; Martha Prosser, died 1777, by T. Hughes; an eroded plaque by Games; and Mary Vaughan, died 1779, oval with low relief.

Chancel: South Side

The lower chancel is built on ground sloping to the east. The south wall has a plaque in the left corner to John Watkin, died 1788. There is a medieval flat-headed two-light window with roll-moulding and deep spandrels to the left, and a central long opening with an oak lintel over a studded oak plank early 20th-century door.

Three plaques are positioned centre-right: William Harvard of Hillis, died 1836, by Hughes; William Jones, died 1838, by T. H.; and John Williams, schoolteacher, died 1857, by D. H.

East End

The east end features a long early 20th-century red sandstone three-light window with hoodmould, flat-headed with panel tracery. Two plaques to the left commemorate Martha Davies of Penyrallt, died 1837, by T. H., and Mary Williams, died 1849. One plaque to the right records William Vaughan Jones, died 1844, and two eroded plaques sit low down, one to Charles Vaughan, 1820s.

The north wall is windowless. A tall square early 20th-century stone chimney with red sandstone quoins stands against the east wall of the nave.

Nave: North Side

The north side of the nave has a big projection for a rood stair to the left with one fixed wooden two-light window with timber lintel and leaded lights. The main wall to the right has a square-headed door with a massive circa 1100 lintel stone carved with two rows of four-pointed stars in squares, with a row of lozenges on each side.

An early 20th-century red sandstone big four-light flat-headed window with hoodmould follows, then a buttress with red sandstone quoins and sloping stone-tiled top, probably early 20th-century. To the left, on the eaves, is a leaning rubble stone square chimney with cornice. The nave northwest and southwest corners are rebuilt with 19th-century quoins.

Interior: Nave

The interior has plastered walls and stone-flagged floors, with one step up towards the west end and another in the tower arch. The 19th-century pointed chamfered arch to the tower opens into a space with whitewashed walls, renewed timber ceiling and a grey stone splayed reveal to the west window.

The nave has a fine 15th-century plastered panelled roof of six by nine panels with moulded ribs, and one big ovolo-moulded tie beam. The square-headed south window reveals have stepped sills, the south door has a segmental arch, and there is a seat in the recess of the long pulpit window. The north wall has a long timber lintel to the early 20th-century window with red sandstone quoins and sill.

The north door to the rood stair is oak, dated 1925, carved with names of the dead of the Great War. Stone stairs run in the wall thickness up to the rood loft door. The chancel arch is round-arched and infilled above the rood loft.

Interior: Chancel

One step down leads into the chancel. The flagged floor bears an incised memorial to Reverend G. I. Prys Jones, rector responsible for the early 20th-century restoration. The 18th-century coved plaster ceiling has a coved cornice, deep coved sides and a centre rectangle with triple-roll border.

The south wall has a square-headed early 20th-century door and two-light window, with an oak lintel and red sandstone quoins to the early 20th-century east window. One step leads to the sanctuary with altar rails and stone flags, including one eroded incised slab.

Fittings

The font is a massive and crude 12th-century bowl-shaped grey stone example with rough roll-mould below the rim and a short round shaft in yellow limestone, set on a monolith square pedestal.

The outstanding 15th-century screen and rood loft infill the chancel arch, with the rood loft extending full-width. Much restored 1926–30 by W. D. Caroë, the rood with two figures affixed to the wall above was carved in 1925 by N. Hitch.

The screen has three narrow bays each side of centre with square-headed openings infilled with ornate cusped ogee heads and pierced quatrefoils in the spandrels, with plain panels below. The centre square-headed opening has traceried corner brackets pierced with quatrefoils. An undercut vine-scroll frieze sits above, with delicate cresting under the rood loft soffit.

The rood loft projects far with a panelled boarded soffit, slightly coved in three by eleven panels with moulded ribs, renewed carved bosses and leaves in the corners of each panel. The rood loft front has much renewed ornament: a delicate double row at bottom, probably early 20th-century, then two bands of pierced oak carving interrupted by triangular bases of the dividing piers of the five-bay front. The piers are diagonally set with carved blind tracery and carved capitals interrupting the top cornice. Each bay has three long panels with 1926–30 relief carvings by Hitch of saints under canopies in the middle panel. Two bands of carving form the top cornice: the narrower lower one with trefoils in roundels, the upper one with undercut wave design and flowers. The rear of the screen is plainer with a coved panelled soffit to the loft.

The timber panelled four-sided pulpit of 1680 has fielded panels, large below and smaller above on each side, and a deep sloping top board, with an early 20th-century timber base and steps. An altar stands in front of the screen on the right side, comprising a medieval stone slab on a 20th-century wooden base.

The later 17th-century altar rails have thick turned balusters and a moulded rail. The 17th-century Jacobean-style oak altar table was extended in the early 20th century in matching style to carry a very long medieval stone slab.

Simple late 18th to early 19th-century panelled pews have panelled ends. 17th-century pews, said to date from 1630, include one by the font, four to the east of the south door and one at the front of the north pews, all with panelled backs. An iron stove in the nave northwest is by Portway & Son of Halstead. A painted earlier 19th-century board on the west wall displays Biblical texts in Welsh.

Memorials

The church contains numerous memorials.

Nave south: plaque to the Vaughan family to 1776, by Games; Walter Vaughan of Penishapentre, died 1800, and widow died 1811, by Games; William Vaughan of Penishapentre, died 1808; Margaret Williams of Tredomen, died 1759, by T. Games; Thomas Vaughan of Glandwr, died 1792, by D. H.

Nave north: children of David Williams, died 1769–79; William and Catherine Price, died 1791 and 1793, with remarkable low relief rustic decoration and border text, by D. H.; marble plaque to Ann Stanton, died 1846; neo-Grec marble plaque to William Havard of Penygoyffordd, died 1773 and descendants, by William Williams of Brecon; marble memorial to Henry Vaughan of Penymaes, died 1861, by J. Phillips of Talgarth; ornate Gothic carved memorial to Reverend Thomas Vaughan of Penymaes, died 1855, and his wife, erected by H. G. Vaughan of Cynghordy, signed by Williams & Sons, Brecon; Ann Havard, died 1792, oval plaque by D. H.; Alica Jones of Tylecrwn, died 1782, plain plaque.

Chancel south: 14th-century stone with low relief cross and fleur-de-lys border, raised on a plastered base.

Chancel east wall: James Parry of Trostre, died 1779; William Vaughan of Penymaes, died 1803, his wife died 1821 and daughter died 1838, painted with low relief neo-classical rustic decoration, by Hughes of Felinfach.

Chancel south wall: Jane Jones, died 1832, painted with rustic Adam-style decoration, by T. Phillips; W. Gwynne Vaughan of Penymaes, died 1841, marble with mourning female and plant-draped sarcophagus, by Jennings of Hereford; J. Havard of Hillis, died 1766 and T. Havard died 1793, by Games; Alice Williams of Tredomen and Tredustan, died 1825, painted rustic Adam-style, by Hughes; Elizabeth Vaughan of Tredomen, died 1774, by Games; Margaret Williams of Tredomen Court, died 1789, oval plaque.

Chancel north: Rees Lloyd of Pencoedcae, died 1795 and family to 1840, by Jones; Mary Havard, died 1852, with heavy lettering, by C. & J. D.; Margaret Williams of Ty Uchaf Tredomen, died 1807 and John Williams died 1817, painted Adam-style with draped urn, by Hughes; John Williams of Tredomen and later Tredustan Court, died 1801, painted Adam-style; Reverend M. W. Williams, died 1811, painted with urn and marbling, by Hughes; Elizabeth Bowen, died 1852, and Reverend W. Bowcott, died 1865, marble neo-Grec by Thomas of Brecon; double framed plaques, one with winged cherub head, to daughters of Reverend Thomas James and to Henry Powell, all died 1731–2, by T. Brute.