Church of St Cathen

Church of St Cathen

A Tudor-Gothic church comprising a nave with south aisle, lower chancel with south chapel (also known as the Aberglasney Chapel), west tower, south porch, and north transept (also known as the Cadfan Chapel). The building is constructed of rubble stone with freestone dressings and a slate roof.

The south porch is lower in height and features an elliptical arch with continuous roll moulding framing the entrance. The doorway to the south aisle has a 4-centred arch, also with continuous roll moulding, and double boarded doors with strap hinges. To its right are three 3-light square-headed windows with sunk spandrels and hood moulds, renewed in 1899, with an original similar window in the west wall. A memorial stone to Esther Francis and family (died 1831) is attached to the wall between the centre and right-hand south windows and is enclosed by iron railings.

The plain, lower south chapel is set back from the line of the south aisle and has an inserted late 19th-century boarded door with the hood mould of an earlier window offset above it. The chapel contains a 2-light geometrical east window of 1868, enclosed by railings, with an in-built tablet to the left commemorating Robert Dyer of Aberglasney (died 1752).

The chancel has a 3-light Perpendicular east window with hood mould, of 1899. On the north side of the chancel is a large tomb enclosure with iron railings, though the memorial stone has now fallen. The north transept has a 2-light north window with 19th-century Decorated tracery and hood mould, and a pointed west doorway with a boarded door. The nave has two north windows similar to those of the south aisle, between which is a stone tablet within an architrave to Ann Evans (died 1841), with a railed enclosure nearby. To the lower right of the right-hand window is an in-built stone tablet to David Davies (died 1844).

The 4-stage tower has a northeast turret, curved in the lower two stages and square above, with a small lean-to on the north side. The west doorway is 2-centred with a continuous chamfer and hood mould, with double boarded doors and strap hinges. The 2nd and 3rd stages have narrow strips on the west and south faces. The bell stage has 2-light square-headed openings with sunk spandrels (partly obscured by render on the west face) and louvres, some now missing. The embattled parapet projects on a corbel table.

Interior

The nave and south aisle have canted wagon roofs with moulded ribs and plaster panels. The 3-bay nave arcade, of 1813, has octagonal piers and round arches with a single order of chamfer. The 2-centred arch of 1868 to the north transept has a single order of continuous chamfer. In the north transept is a recess of a former window in the east wall and a simple 2-centred piscina. The pointed chancel arch has two orders of chamfer, the outer continuous and the inner on angel corbels, with a hood mould with head stops. The chancel roof dates from 1899 and comprises 2 bays with half bays at the ends, with trusses composed of collar beams above diagonal braces, the space between infilled with openwork decoration. The 3-bay chancel arcade, also of 1813, has pointed arches incorporating two orders of chamfer on octagonal piers. The chancel and sanctuary floor are laid with encaustic tiles.

The base of the tower contains a tunnel vault. The west doorway to the nave has continuous roll and hollow moulding.

The principal interior feature is the Jacobean memorial to Bishop Rudd. This is Renaissance in style and comprises a tomb chest with two raised fields upon which lie effigies of Bishop Rudd (died 1614) and his wife Ann Dalton (died 1616) in contemporary dress. Behind them, against the back of the tomb, is a slate memorial tablet framed by strapwork in low relief. The effigies lie beneath a coffered round arch on an outer order of Corinthian columns on high panelled bases, supporting an entablature incorporating a frieze of rosettes and a panelled soffit with diamond fields. The pediment is broken by a coat of arms and bishop's mitre. The tomb chest is flanked by pairs of kneeling children, each pair framed by a canopy on a panelled base with fluted Ionic columns and moulded entablature. Each canopy is surmounted by a tall panelled obelisk.

The church contains other significant 18th and 19th-century wall monuments. In the east wall of the chapel is a tablet surmounted by a psalter to John Walter Philipps of Aberglasney (died 1848), by Lewis of Cheltenham. Another monument by Lewis is in the south chancel wall, commemorating Thomas Philipps of Aberglasney (died 1824), a marble wall tablet on a slate background with a Greek-key frieze at the base and surmounted by a draped urn. In the south aisle is an alabaster wall monument to Rev Thomas Llwyd (died 1775) comprising an urn with putto over an inscription panel. To its right is an alabaster tablet on a slate background, by P Rogers of Swansea, to Rev George Wade Green of Court Henry (died 1868) and members of his family, comprising a plain inscription surmounted by a bible and a dove laying a wreath.

The octagonal font is 19th-century in late Perpendicular style, with a panelled stem and quatrefoil relief panels to the bowl. The benches, with simple pointed ends, were installed in 1868. The polygonal pulpit has early Gothic style panels. The 17th-century Communion rail has turned balusters and pointed arches.

Several windows contain 19th and 20th-century stained glass. The east window shows Christ, the southeast window depicts Jesus with the Canaanite woman's daughter. The north window depicts Faith, Hope and Charity, signed by Florence Cann of Smethwick but undated. The nave northwest window shows the crucifixion.