Church of Saint Mary

Church of Saint Mary

A parish church of grey slatey stone with ashlar dressings and steep slate roofs. The building comprises a nave with a western spirelet, chancel, northern vestry and southern porch, designed in angular Gothic style with lancet windows. Each lancet features a cusped head, and some are decorated with cusped tracery just below the head. The steep roofs are finished with iron cross finials and shaped rafter ends. The nave and chancel end-walls have small timbers built into the base of the gables, echoing the wall-plate and vertical struts of the rafter roofs within.

The short nave has a southern porch to the left and one pointed two-light window to the right, which is decorated with a sexfoil in the head and pointed hoodmould. The porch is constructed of cut Cilgerran stone with some ashlar random pieces. It has a steep roof swept out at the eaves, an iron cross finial and crested ridge tiles. The ashlar pointed doorway features a moulded head dying into chamfered jambs with a bar and pyramid stop, with cut stone voussoirs. Low side buttresses with ashlar set-offs support the structure. Inside, the porch has a scissor-rafter roof and a pointed south door with double ovolo moulding dying into chamfered jambs. Double doors with iron hinges provide access.

The western end has a mid-buttress carrying the bell-turret, faced with cut Cilgerran stone and ashlar. The buttress is subtly detailed with a plinth and two ashlar set-offs up to the level of the tops of windows, then a short ashlar square section splayed out on tiny cusped arches to three-sided form, then widened with tapered corbels on angled faces, followed by a square section with rubble infill. A cut Cilgerran stone square base supports a timber louvred bell-stage with a slated spire broached to octagonal form. The bell-stage has simple cusped heads to a pair of openings on each face and an iron cross finial. Long lancets on each side feature cusped tracery. The nave's north side has two paired cusped lancets with heads slightly ogee in form, and a buttress at the northeast corner.

The chancel's east end has a single low buttress to the left with an ashlar set-off and gablet at the foot. A large pointed three-light east window dominates this elevation, with each light pointed and decorated with cusped tracery, a hoodmould above, and Cilgerran stone voussoirs. The chancel's north side features a lean-to vestry to the left, with a two-light east window having pointed lights with cusped tracery. A segmental-pointed head above a traceried triangle light forms one small window to the right, with a segmental-pointed door to the west.

Interior

The interior is whitewashed plaster with some ashlar. The nave has a collar rafter roof with cusped braces and sloping struts down to foot pieces. At the west end, a centre pier has a recess at its bottom from the bell-rope, with re-sited monuments attached above. The south door has an ashlar segmental-pointed surround with keeled moulding to the head. A pointed chancel arch with two chamfers separates the nave from the chancel, with the inner chamfer carried on a splayed corbel carved with a recessed relief of a king and bishop. The base of the corbel is decorated with flowers and ballflower ornament. A slate step rises to the chancel.

Patterned tile floors with encaustic tiles feature throughout, some decorated with a Bowen lion in blue. The chancel roof is similar to the nave but with curved braces and a more emphasised wallplate. An ashlar pointed north door provides access to the vestry, with a moulded head and bar stop. A slate step rises to the sanctuary, and another slate step carries the altar. A reset black stone plaque to Grace Jones of Pantyderi (died 1671) is set into the altar step. The east window is set within an ashlar segmental-pointed reveal, with an ashlar string-course crossing the east wall at sill level.

Fittings

The font is a heavy ashlar piece with a round bowl chamfered into a moulded base. The lowest ring is decorated with ballflower and rosette ornament. A round shaft stands on a steeply splayed octagonal base. Simple pine pews with shaped bench-ends furnish the nave, with the three left front pews having doors. A pine octagonal pulpit with panelled faces and subtle details stands in the nave. The chancel has a reading desk in similar style. Altar rails comprise three broad open sections with cusped spandrels and wrought-iron inserts, divided by two narrow framed panels with Gothic piercings. A Gothic altar table and a 20th-century organ complete the fittings.

Stained Glass

The east window is a fine work of three lights, with a Crucifixion with saints occupying the lower part and patterned glass above. Made in 1857 in memory of Thomas Bowen of Pantyderi (1783–1853) and his wife M. Williams (died 1852). Two lights at the west end feature patterned quarries and four roundels with symbols of the Evangelists. The chancel south window displays the arms of Bowen of Pantyderi and Williams of Trefach. A small window in the chancel north features compasses and ?RI initials, dating to the mid-19th century. The chancel south two-light window commemorates a vicar of Eglwyswen (died 1920), made by Celtic Studios circa 1960 and moved from Eglwyswen church around 2000.

Monuments

Monuments are located at the west end. The topmost monument, dating to the late 18th or early 19th century, is an oval form with a sarcophagus on a pedestal, commemorating James Bowen of Pantyderi (died 1788). A marble sarcophagus plaque records Elizabeth Bowen (died 1820), aged 72. A plaque with sarcophagus is mounted to the west, commemorating W. M. Williams of Trefach (died 1820), signed by D. Mainwaring of Carmarthen.