Church of St.Gwynnog

Church of St Gwynnog

A Perpendicular style church consisting of a tower, nave, chancel, south porch and vestry. The building is constructed of snecked masonry beneath a slate roof, with sandstone or heavy grey stone dressings. The sandstone dressings to the front have been rusticated by rock-faced margin drafting to resemble the grey stone dressings. Characteristic details include stone kneelers, raised copings and diagonal buttresses at the corners.

The three-stage tower features embattled parapets and two string courses. The top stage contains louvre openings on each side with Y-tracery and cusping. Below is a clock to the south and a small quatrefoiled light to the north. Elsewhere, fenestration is mainly pointed lancets in heavy surrounds, except for a two-light window under a four-centred arch at ground level on the south side. The west door is planked with ornate hinges, set under a pointed arch with two sets of chamfered mouldings.

The low nave encompasses the former nave and chancel and is built off a high plinth. The south porch, also built on a plinth, has a pointed-arched entrance with double chamfered mouldings below a small trefoiled light. The porch contains a 19th-century scissor-brace roof and wood-planked double doors beneath a pointed arch. The nave contains two windows to the east of the porch, each flat-headed with three cusped lancets, diamond glazing and internal ferramenta, with a buttress between them.

The chancel is lower and narrower than the nave but displays similar detail, including a single lancet window in heavy stone surround on the south side. The east window is in Perpendicular style with three cinquefoiled lancets under smaller cusped lancets, daggers and a quatrefoil. The north side of the nave has a modern church hall attached, constructed of grey brick with an asbestos slate roof. To the east, some random masonry is visible which may be the remains of the original church, and a Tudor-style window with two cusped lancets has been inserted. The vestry has a north-facing gable end containing a window under a four-arched head with two cusped lancets. There may have been a chimney on the west side, now truncated.

The roof is well preserved and likely dates to the 15th century. It comprises eight bays. Every third truss is scissor-braced with cusping on the extrados. The remainder are collar trusses with arched braces. Two purlins and substantial rafters feature two rows of cusped windbraces, quatrefoiled between the two purlins and half quatrefoils between the lower purlin and wall plate.

The 19th-century chancel, chancel arch and fittings include Maws-type floor tiles and an octagonal font on a square plinth. A blocked doorway in the tower suggests a former gallery. Most unusual is poker-work panelling at the west end by E.B. Proctor of Aberhafesp Hall, dated 1893. It is three panels high and surrounds the door to the tower. Constructed from honey-coloured wood, possibly pine, with recessed panels, the figures and text are in relief, the surrounding wood being darkened by the use of a heated poker. The panels display biblical scenes in simple Arts and Crafts style which relate to text above each panel. For example, the text "The Lord is my Shepherd" is symbolised by Christ with two sheep at his feet. Other scenes include the nativity, the crucifixion, resurrection and the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Some panels display stylised motifs including foliage, flowers, arcades and crosses. The hymn board is in similar pokerwork.

Many of the memorials relate to the owners of Aberhafesp Hall. In the chancel is a memorial to Richard John Davies of Brompton Hall, Shropshire, rector of the church for 37 years, who died in 1864. He was responsible for the restoration of the church in 1857. On the north side of the chancel are memorials to Henry Adolphus Proctor C.B. of Aberhafesp Hall and his wife Louisa, who died in 1857. They were probably the parents of E.B. Proctor. Earlier owners of Aberhafesp Hall were the Morgan family, whose memorials are found on the south side of the nave. Two of them, to Matthew Morgan and his daughter Frances, are fine ornate marble wall monuments dated 1712. In the early 20th century, Aberhafesp Hall was owned by the Woosnam family and there is a memorial to Gaynor Woosnam, died 1933, erected by the Girl Guides movement. There are further 18th- and 19th-century memorials in the church.

Stained glass by Baillie of London, circa 1857, is lurid and bold in style. The east window shows Christ taking leave of his mother. The easterly north nave window shows an angel leading a woman to heaven and is dedicated to Louisa Colman, daughter of Adolphus and Louisa Proctor, who died in 1854 aged 36. The westerly north nave window, probably by a different hand, shows the crucifixion and last supper scenes and is dedicated to Mary Ann, wife of E.B. Proctor, who died in 1890.