Church of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church, dating from the 12th to 13th centuries, built of rubble stone with a slate roof. It consists of a single chamber with a west bellcote. The west end, which has no windows, is constructed of coursed squared stone and features a high plinth with exceptionally long blocks extending to the string course. Above this are five courses of squared yellow stone blocks, likely reused from a former Abbey, positioned on either side of an arched doorway, with similar stone used for the arch's voussoirs. The doorway has 20th-century studded plank doors. The date 1759 is scratched onto one of the stones, presented upside down. The bellcote is of a slightly classical style, featuring a dripcourse at the base, a plinth of tooled stone, and a slate cap supporting a bell opening flanked by two square piers and a depressed arch with stone voussoirs, flat shoulders, and a small raised pediment.

The main body of the church has three large pointed windows with timber Y-tracery and leaded glazing, renewed in 1914, on each side. The voussoirs on the south side are of yellow stone, probably reused, while those on the north side are of a greyish stone. The window sills are of cement. The north wall incorporates a carved stone from the 12th or 13th century, featuring a pair of roundels built into the upper right end. The east end has a larger three-light pointed window with renewed intersecting tracery and stone voussoirs. The east gable is built from yellow stone, possibly reused. A large stone, leaning against the east wall and bearing an incised cross, formerly served as a grave slab, potentially dating back to the 10th century.

The interior retains a Georgian simplicity with whitewashed walls and a plastered curved ceiling. A panelled west gallery is supported by two turned columns, and a staircase to the gallery is located in the southwest corner. Fittings include a very small medieval round bowl on a round shaft, attractive turned altar rails that curve in plan, and a row of wooden hat-pegs on each side wall. A panelled pulpit, dated 1724, has an unusual, non-geometric octagonal shape, suggesting some alteration or reworking. A Victorian or early 20th-century reredos is also present.

Monuments include nicely lettered plaques to Lieutenant John Morice of Aberllolwyn and Treflys, who died in 1821, made of painted slate; to Richard Edward of Ty Gwyn, who died in 1722; and to Averina Stedman, who died in 1734. A fine grey and white marble monument is located in the northeast corner, commemorating Anne Lloyd, who died in 1778, and was the wife of both Richard Stedman of Strata Florida and the notorious Sir Herbert Lloyd of Peterwell. A series of four brightly coloured windows, created between 1961 and 1971 by Powell of Whitefriars, were donated by Sir David James and his family. These depict Saint David and Saint Barnabas, Saint Agnes and Saint Non, Saint Bernard and Saint Francis, and are dedicated to the parents of Sir David James.