Church of St Mary

Overview and Structure

Anglican parish church built of rubble stone with plain tiles to the roof (replacing earlier stone tiles). The architectural dressings vary by period: late medieval features are predominantly in red sandstone, 19th-century work in Bath stone, and early 20th-century additions in red sandstone. The building comprises a nave and chancel formed as a single space, with a large west tower, south porch, and north vestry and organ chamber.

Tower

The west tower features a square south-east stair tower, apparently buttressed by the south-west corner of the nave. The tower has a battered (sloping) base with a string course above a pointed chamfered 15th-century west doorway, reopened in 1906, with corbelling beneath the string course. Above this sits a small pointed 15th-century west window of two lights with cusped heads. A similar 15th-century two-light window appears on the south face at mid-level, with small pointed cusped lights on the north and south sides at upper level beneath the belfry stage.

The belfry contains small 15th-century two-light openings with square heads and pointed lights (the south pair restored with rounded heads), beneath a 15th-century parapet featuring a small coved string course and large gargoyle spouts, topped with battlements that rise taller on the stair tower. The stair tower has small slit windows. According to Glynne's 1851 observations, the battlements were originally forked.

Nave and Chancel Exterior

The nave and chancel form a single broad vessel. The south-west corner of the nave displays large quoins, and some fragments of Roman brick and tile are visible in the walls.

South Elevation

The south side begins with a cusped lancet to the left featuring a medieval red sandstone head and jambs from 1913, followed by an 1880 Bath stone three-light window with lancets and a relieving arch. The south porch is said to have been rebuilt in the 18th century, though the side stonework appears 19th-century. The pointed chamfered entrance incorporates some medieval red sandstone blocks. Inside the porch are stone benches on each side, a roof from 1880, and a pointed chamfered south door, possibly 14th-century, with the chamfer rebated to fit the door, which may be 18th-century plank construction with cover strips. A holy water stoup to the right has a triangular head and projecting basin.

To the right of the porch is a small 12th-century single light, restored in 1913, with a roughly arched head whose voussoirs incorporate a Roman tile. This is followed by another three-light window from 1880. A projecting stone beneath may relate to a blocked rood stair door visible within. The chancel (without architectural division from the nave) has a red sandstone two-light window from 1913 with cusped arched heads to the lights, and above it two features restored in 1913: to the right, some masonry splayed inward (apparently the jamb of a splayed reveal), and to the left a plain rectangular light with 1913 leaded glazing and timber lintel.

A large blocked pointed archway marks the entrance to a demolished south chapel, with rough stone jambs and voussoirs. The blocking incorporates a late 15th-century two-light square-headed window with shields in the spandrels and a flat hoodmould (presumably reused from the demolished chapel). Finally, a slit light to the right with a square head is set very low—all replaced in 1913 but probably originally late 13th to 14th century.

East and North Elevations

The east end has a 15th-century sandstone window set high (apparently moved here from the nave in 1913) with three lights featuring cusped arched heads.

The north wall displays a two-light window to the left with heads replaced in 1913, then a single cinquefoil-cusped light from 1913, followed by an uncusped lancet also from 1913. Above is a small square opening. The lean-to vestry on the nave pre-dates 1851 and stands to the right, with flat heads and red sandstone voussoirs to two doors, one now converted to a louvred window for the boiler room. The eastern half is an addition, presumably from around 1880 for the organ chamber, though with 1913 details including a square two-light window to the north and a single light to the east. To the right of the lean-to, the nave has one two-light window from 1880 and a plain square hole reopened in 1913.

Tower Interior and Roofs

The tower has a pointed barrel vault and a pointed hollow-moulded 15th-century door to the stair with chamfered stops to the moulding. A tall pointed 15th-century tower arch opens to the nave. The upper stage of the tower originally comprised two floors—perhaps a priest's room beneath the ringing chamber—with the upper floor containing a fireplace. The west end of the nave has a large pointed loft door over the tower arch, providing access to the upper chamber.

The eleven-bay nave roof, possibly 17th-century, features twelve close-spaced broad collar trusses with arched braces, straight braces, and wishbone struts over the collars, with four rows of purlins. The nave's eastern truss has timber-framing infill, while the chancel has pine boarding from 1880. The roofs were restored in 1913.

Interior Walls and Features

The nave and chancel have plastered walls with faint traces of wall-paintings. Numerous square holes, possibly putlog holes, were discovered and opened in 1913.

South Wall Interior

The south wall has one square hole to the right, then a cusped lancet in a segmental-pointed rough reveal, followed by a 19th-century reveal to a three-light window and another square hole. The south door has an earlier 19th-century inner door with a reeded keystone to its timber surround, then another square hole, followed by a 1913 timber lancet in a 12th-century narrow light with segmental pointed reveal. Further along are another square hole, a segmental-pointed former door to the rood stair with renewed head, and then the other 19th-century three-light window inserted in the recess of the former rood stair.

North Wall Interior

The north wall has a square hole to the left, a segmental-pointed reveal to a part-blocked window, another square hole, and the jambs of a blocked medieval north door originally with a hollow-moulded pointed surround with chamfered stops, broken for an 1880 two-light window. This is followed by another square hole, a segmental-pointed blocked opening, a fragment of wall-painting with a chevron pattern, a fragment of a medieval tomb slab, and a fragment of medieval carved wood with half a tiny carved face, positioned over a low Tudor-arched door to the vestry. A large 1880 broad segmental arch leads to the organ chamber with vestry.

Chancel

One step leads up to the chancel, which has tiled floors and an 1880 roof panelled in 8×6 panels with a shallow cornice featuring bosses. The chancel shows evidence that the floor has been raised, as the east wall piscina and remnants of an earlier east window are now at floor level. The sills and part of the splays of a two-light east window are visible, which Caroe believed to be the base of a pair of late 12th to 13th-century lancets and reconstructed with rounded jambs, a centre pier, and stone voussoirs to low cambered heads. A fragment of 17th-century painted text appears to the right over a square hole.

The north wall contains a 13th-century tomb recess or Easter sepulchre with a low pointed head, and a second recess to the left, damaged by the insertion of a tall square-headed recess. A line of quoins above may indicate a lost north transept. The pointed top of a lancet window is visible to the right over the 1913 single lancet.

The south wall has a blocked south chapel arch with plain chamfered imposts. To the right is the jamb of a blocked opening above a red stone two-light window, with another piece of straight stonework in the wall to the right and a 1913 deep-set rectangular leaded narrow light above.

Fittings

The church contains a 15th-century red conglomerate stone font with an octagonal bowl, chamfered beneath, on a 20th-century stem. The altar table and credence are 17th-century. The pulpit dates to 1922 by Caroe, constructed as a timber octagonal form on a tapering base. The organ was rebuilt in 1880 by Bevington & Sons of Soho, with painted pipes housed in a Gothic case. Late 19th-century chancel stalls feature cusped arcading to their fronts. A brass eagle lectern dates to around 1896.

Monuments

The south porch east side contains a delicately lettered early 19th-century oval memorial with no name but the inscription "Je remets mon ame en ta main car tu m'as rachete" (I commend my soul into your hand for you have redeemed me), and a red stone plaque to Thomas Powell, died 1787. The east side also has an eroding plaque to Reverend John Williams, Pantycelyn, died 1828, with the motto "A sinner saved" and a note that this line was inserted at the request of the deceased. A plaque to the right commemorates Thomas Jones of Ystradwallter, died 1762, and his wife, died 1767, with good lettering.

On the nave north wall above the vestry door is a marble plaque with urn to Reverend W Thomas of Pantyrhedyn, died 1853, by D. Beynon. The chancel south wall has a brass to Thomas Jones of Llanfair Grange, died 1901, a detached plaque to William Williams of Pentwyn, excise officer, died 1799, a plaque to Morgan Williams of Pentwyn, gentleman, died 1790, a marble plaque to Jane Gwynne, died 1802, and a plaque to Maryanne Gwynne, died 1818. There is also a plaque to William Leeves of Tortington Place, Sussex, died 1870. The north wall has a plaque to Mary Anne Gwynne, died 1818, and to Colonel Sackville Gwynne of Glanbran, died 1836, and his wife, died 1888.

Stained Glass

The tower west window by John Petts commemorates Major W Stewart of Llanfair House, 1972, depicting the sun in vibrant colours. The nave south fourth window has glass from around 1880 showing Christ healing the sick, in the style of Hardman.

The chancel south two-light window has glass by John Petts from 1965 to J L Stewart, killed 1940, showing St George and the dragon with a swastika (the design said not to be by Petts). The narrow window set low to the left has glass given by John Petts in 1972 with the letters "CARDI". The chancel north small single light is by Kempe & Co from around 1924, depicting St David, and the two-light to the right by Kempe & Co from 1931 shows "Feed my lambs". The east window of three lights, around 1924 by Kempe & Co, depicts the Crucifixion with Reverend Rhys Prichard and Reverend William Williams, the figures set on clear grounds.