Cyffig Church

Cyffig Church

A church of rubble stone with slate roofs, built around a massive north-west tower of squared stone. The tower has a battered plinth, tiny rectangular single louvred bell openings, a corbelled embattled parapet, and a north-west stair tower. The west face of the tower displays a 15th-century flat-headed 2-light window with hoodmould and segmental-pointed heads to the lights. A small louvred light sits at mid-height on the tower's east face. The north face has a low segmental-pointed chamfered tower door with an eroded hoodmould. The stair tower has 4 loops on its north face. A straight joint marks the junction between the tower and the nave's west gable.

The nave roof has been raised. Two blocked 4-centred arched bell-lights below the present 2 rough cambered arched bell-openings indicate the original bellcote height. The roofline now has 19th-century shouldered coping. A small cambered-headed west door opens to the nave, while the south door is pointed with stone voussoirs and a 19th-century replacement. A small rectangular light sits to the right of the south door, and further right are a pair of large early 18th-century arched windows in a slightly projecting sandstone ashlar frame extending from sill to eaves. These windows have a square pier, imposts, and metal small-paned glazing.

The nave's south-east corner is rebated, suggesting some rebuilding, and the chancel's south wall appears to have been rebuilt and is windowless. The east gable has a battered base and is paired with an aisle east gable. Both have overhanging verges of 1890 and 3-light flat-headed windows also of 1890. The chancel's east window has 4-centred arches to the heads, while the north aisle lights and the two similar north nave windows are flat-headed. All windows have relieving arches.

The tower is not vaulted and its floors have been removed, leaving it open to a decayed pitched roof. Blocked arches face east and south, with stone voussoirs to the west window. A segmental-pointed door opens on the north side, and a tiny chamfered segmental-pointed door gives access to the stair on the left.

The main interior has whitewashed plastered walls and roofs with simple pine wishbone trusses, presumably of 1890. Red tiled floors, also of 1890, cover the floor. The nave's west features a low cambered arch over the door. The north side has a deep pointed arch into the tower, which is chamfered with 20th-century infill and a door. The next arch is a broad plastered segmental-pointed arch with chamfer, slightly stepped out for the jambs. A pointed plastered chancel arch is set to the left. The chancel has a 2-bay 19th-century roof with two plastered segmental-pointed arches to the north aisle on a chamfered square pier with chamfered east respond and diagonal stops. A sanctuary step with a stone front and red tiles features a rail with wrought-iron uprights, all of 1890.

The north aisle is stone-flagged and plain, with roof trusses similar to those in the nave. A large blocked arch to the west leads into the tower, positioned off-centre, suggesting that a previous aisle or nave was wider.

The church contains a much retooled font with a square bowl on a square shaft. A small stoup sits on the nave's north side. The pews of 1890 have square bench ends, while stalls feature fielded panel backs and shaped bench ends, also of 1890. The pulpit has a stone base and 3-sided panel front of mid 19th-century date. The stained glass includes an east window of around 1920, a 3-light composition with an IHS symbol to the left, a Good Shepherd to the centre, and a Welsh Regiment emblem to the right (similar to the east window at Marros).

Memorials include a plaque in fossiliferous marble of 1814 commemorating John Jones of Sick (Syke), who died in 1771. Lettered floor slabs record Griffith Dovan (died 1775) and Robert Walters (died 1814).