Church of Saint Cwrdaf

Church of Saint Cwrdaf

This church dates from the late 19th century, constructed in rubble stone with dressings in red sandstone (1890s) and Bath stone (1870s). The roof is slate with terracotta ridge tiles and iron cross finials mounted on the west bellcote, south porch, main ridge and east end.

The building comprises a single vessel with a lean-to south porch, lean-to north aisle, gabled north organ chamber and lean-to northeast vestry. The west end retains some old stonework and features a 3-light window with ogee reticulated tracery and hood in red stone. A small gabled west bellcote sits just back from the verge and contains 2 openings.

The south side displays three 3-light windows in Perpendicular style with red stone frames and flat heads with hoodmoulds. Two smaller windows feature ogee tracery, while the third to the right has pointed lights. Between the first and second windows is a 1890s porch constructed of squared rockfaced rubble stone with an overhanging slate roof, pointed arch, pointed inner door and rafter roof. The east end contains old stonework and evidence of a raised roofline, with two inset memorial plaques to D P Lewis of Gilfach (died 1807) and D Morgans of Hafodygleddau (died 1797). A 3-light Perpendicular style pointed window in Bath stone with hood lights this end.

The north side features a red sandstone cusped single light to the chancel, followed by a lean-to vestry with a red stone pointed east door and a 2-light square-headed Bath stone north window with hood. The added 3-bay aisle has a gable for the organ chamber to the left, containing a 2-light plate-traceried ashlar window with roundel (presumably reused from 1870 work), and two red sandstone 3-light ogee-traceried windows to the right.

The interior comprises a single main vessel with plastered walls and an attractive ceiled barrel roof dating to 1893, divided into 9x6 boarded panels with brattished cornices to the wallplates. The north side contains a 3-bay arcade of 1893 with round columns, moulded bases and caps, 2-chamfer pointed arches with hoodmoulds, and ornate floral or foliate corbel-stops. The aisle roof is braced from corbels on the arcade, with ashlar reveals to windows. The chancel is undivided with a single step, and a chamfered pointed vestry door on the north side appears medieval.

Set into the west wall is a crude medieval holy water stoup with roughly panelled sides. The font is a medieval plain octagonal bowl, chamfered beneath, mounted on a base of 1893-5. A later 19th-century organ in simple Gothic case is dated 1876 according to one plaque and 1972 according to another. The pulpit dates to 1893-5 and features an ashlar base with red sandstone forming a squat octagonal shaft and ashlar canted 4-sided top, with pointed blank panels and some carving in the spandrels. Plain pews and chancel stalls are pitch pine. The chancel rails of 1870 are pitch pine with trefoiled open panels and trident iron inserts in each opening. The sanctuary is laid with encaustic tiles and features a 20th-century oak reredos.

The chancel south window contains 3-light stained glass depicting the Ascension in late Gothic style, commissioned to the memory of J L Popkin (died 1871) and made by Hardman in 1878.

The church contains several monuments. A plaque of 1872 over the pulpit replicates the text of a memorial to Lady Letitia Cornwallis, who redecorated the church and gave the plate in 1786. A well-lettered plain plaque commemorates Rees Price of Cefnucheldre (died 1800) and Samuel Price (died 1808). A similar plaque records infant children of David Price of Blaenycwm (died 1777-8), his wife (died 1789) and himself (died 1807). A slightly neo-Grec marble tablet commemorates Mary Lewis of Gilfach (died 1828) and Rees Williams of Llwyncelyn (died 1832), made by J Thomas & Son of Brecon. The north side displays a well-lettered plaque to Joan Bishop (died 1766), and plaques to Reverend R Price (died 1857) and Jane Jenkins (died 1857).