Church of Saint Cadmarch

Church of Saint Cadmarch

This is a substantial rural church constructed in rubble stone of mixed colours with red sandstone dressings and tooled quoins. The roofs are of graded pale slates with overhanging eaves. The building has a single roof with a coped east gable and cross finial.

The nave's south wall features two small two-light windows set either side of a gabled porch projecting from a shallow wall projection with sloping roof. The porch itself is distinguished by a finely detailed doorway with chamfered sides, square head and moulded surround topped with crenellations. Above the doorway is an important ninth-century carved stone displaying a cross within a circle above a human figure with spiral patterning. The porch's side walls are set back slightly, with a single light to the west under a curved headstone, and a white stone flag floor within. The nave has a stepped buttress to the right, before the chancel begins with two segmental-pointed three-light windows. The wall then steps inward and has a pair of similar two-light windows set close together. The east end features a very wide segmental-pointed window positioned high, containing five lights with shaped heads separated by broad red stone mullions or piers.

The north side contains a flat-roofed vestry, apparently altered or incomplete, with a brick parapet. An eroded red stone north doorway with good oak door gives access to the church. A rendered lean-to organ chamber is located to the right, noted as intended for rebuilding. The nave's north wall shows the outline of a four-bay arcade intended for an aisle; this has been bricked in and rendered with red sandstone two-light windows inserted in each arch. A basement door exists under the west bay.

A western tower was added, constructed in plain local manner with a plinth and corbelled flat parapet, recessed pyramid roof and weathercock. The tower features two-light cusped louvred bell-lights and small loops at mid-height, with a three-light west window with cusped lights under an elliptical arch with stone voussoirs. The tower walls are rendered with grey rubble stone dressings. The west end has a tall pointed arch with stone voussoirs framing a lower broad pointed arch. A panelled timber screen crosses the opening with matching double doors and crest of half-rounds. The tower was built in 1927 and contains a beamed ceiling with chamfered west corners.

Interior

The nave's north wall displays a rubble stone arcade of four pointed arches with square piers of rubble stone and stone voussoirs, each bay infilled with one two-light window. The south wall has a cambered-headed two-light window to the right above a cambered-headed radiator recess, a south door in a rough stone pointed arch with tooled-stone tympanum over a cambered-headed door, and two further windows above radiator recesses.

The single roof is narrowed in the chancel. The nave contains alternate trusses: two broad arch-braced collar trusses with brattished cambered collars and braces carried on wall posts, and two tie-beam trusses with octagonal kingpost carrying four arched struts. The chancel is narrower and is framed by grey rubble piers with a pointed squinch arch at the top of the angle between pier and nave wall. A red stone foundation plaque dated 10/8/1915 is positioned to the right jamb. The chancel roof has three arch-braced collar trusses with low cambered collars with brattishes on top. Two white stone steps lead to the chancel, one to the sanctuary and two to the altar.

The chancel's side walls each have a tall segmental-pointed transeptal opening framed in grey rubble stone, followed by a pair of two-light windows set high in a single segmental-pointed opening without stone framing. The very broad five-light east window is positioned higher still within a segmental-pointed reveal. The north side has a tall arch framing the organ. To its right is a grey stone doorway to the vestry with a well-crafted framed plank door with wrought iron hinges, and a wall cupboard with delicate wrought iron hinges in a plain ashlar surround. The south side has a matching tall arch framing a three-light window with a radiator recess below.

Below the left windows is a fine red stone sedilia with hollow-moulded shouldered surround, pyramid stops and cambered cusped head, with stone seats and boarded back. Linked to the left is a piscina recess, shouldered with a wood shelf. The east end is dominated by a large Gothic oak reredos and panelling, dating to circa 1918. Two bays of panelling occupy each side with rosettes in the cornice and traceried upper panels. The reredos is framed by tall panelled piers with statues on half-octagonal shafts—Saint Cadmarch to the left and Saint David to the right, each under an ogee niche. The panelled centre comprises five bays with a wider centre bay and blind tracery to the heads, topped with a cornice of rosettes and cresting. The very broad east window above has thick red stone piers between its lights.

The font is a sandstone octagonal piece, tapered below to a round shaft. A damaged medieval octagonal font remains on the floor, chamfered below. A fine pulpit in red sandstone ashlar features a three-sided front with moulded border, cross in relief and cornice with bosses, with a base of projecting square pier and stone steps up. An oak book-rest lectern from 1916 displays fine pierced tracery to the sides on an octagonal carved shaft. The pews have simple squared ends, with similar stalls of shaped ends. The organ is by Vowles. Simple timber altar rails stand on four posts, with a timber altar table on four heavy front piers each carved with a roundel and stepped lintels between posts.

The east window is a war memorial unveiled in 1921. This fine five-light window in late Gothic style depicts the Crucifixion in the centre, with Suffer the Children and Light of World to the left, and Mary Magdalene and Lamb of God to the right.

Memorials include a plaque to Reverend D. Lloyd Isaac, died 1876, in marble with a hand on cross. A Rustic Gothic plaque commemorates Joseph Richards of Cwmbryn Llanlleonfel, died 1841, signed Davies of Llanleonfel. War memorial plaques are probably by Caroe. A marble plaque honours Theophilus Jones, author of the History of Breconshire, died 1812, by Davies of Builth.