Church of Saint Caron

The Church of Saint Caron is a building of probable 14th-century origin, with later additions and alterations, situated within a group value context. The church is constructed of rubble stone with a slate roof and a red tile ridge. It comprises a west tower, a nave and chancel under a single roof, and a south vestry.

The large, plain west tower likely dates from the later 14th century and is reminiscent of that at Llanddewi Brefi. It features a battered plinth, sheer battered walls, and a corbelled embattled parapet. A northeast stair tower projects north, flush with the east side, with the corbelling carried around it. The stair tower’s parapet rises higher with battered sides and battlements, topped with a vane and weathercock. The small, two-light bell openings are flush and pointed. A carved stone rainwater spout on the south side was part of repairs in 1995. The west front features a pointed ashlar doorway, chamfered with bar-stops to the jambs and a double-chamfered head, including stone voussoirs. Above the doorway is a small two-light window with ashlar tracery, uncusped lights, and a trefoil in a circular surround. The north wall has two segmental-pointed nave windows with plain three-light lancet tracery, followed by a gabled buttress, and the chancel has a single segmental-arched three-light window with lancet tracery. The south wall of the nave contains one two-light window with a circular head, and two segmental-pointed three-light windows, all with uncusped tracery. A gabled vestry is situated to the right, with a coped gable, ashlar circular gable vent, and a two-light window with a roundel head, incorporating a basement lancet. The east side has steps to a shouldered doorway, a single lancet to the chancel south wall, and a three-light east window with three circles in the head and an ashlar circular gable vent.

Internally, the tower has a high vault and a tall tower arch, both constructed of rough stone. The nave and chancel share a single roof, composed of six bays with deep arch-braced collar trusses, while the chancel bay features arch-braced rafters. The church contains a medieval font bowl, heptagonal in shape, with rounded lower portions and raised fillets at the angles. An ashlar pulpit of 1879 and a reredos of 1886 are also present. A wrought iron screen was added in 1924-6. The pine altar rails incorporate wrought iron panels. Stained glass windows are by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster (dating from 1922 in the east window, c.1936 in the chancel south lancet, c.1934 in the nave north third, and c.1941 in the nave south first). Windows by Celtic Studios include a single light in the nave north first (1951) and a three-light window in the nave south third (c.1952).