Church of St Egwad

Church of St Egwad

A Tudor-Gothic church built in 1849, comprising a nave with lower and narrower chancel, a north aisle of equal width to the nave, a chapel now used as a vestry, and a northwest tower. The building is constructed of rubble stone with red sandstone and Bath stone dressings and quoins, with a slate roof behind coped gables.

The windows are mainly square-headed with hood moulds, except for 2 round-headed lights with sunk spandrels. The north aisle contains 2 north windows and a gabled northwest porch with a pointed doorway featuring a continuous chamfer and double doors with vertical ribs. Above the doorway is a shield dated 1849, commemorating the completion of the church. A northeast aisle doorway has a Tudor head with continuous chamfer and a boarded door. The vestry features a single 2-light north window on the east side, surrounded by grave slabs enclosed by railings, and a 3-light square-headed east window. The chancel has a 3-light east window with geometrical tracery and hood mould, and a single cusped south window between added lean-to structures for a boiler and coal house. Beneath this window is a re-set grave slab dated 1749. The nave has 4 south windows, whilst the west wall is roughcast. The nave contains a 3-light window and the aisle a 4-light square-headed window.

The 3-stage tower is battered at the base. It has a west doorway with a Tudor arch and continuous chamfer, and double ribbed doors. The north side features a square-headed window, and the west side has a similar window on the middle stage. The bell stage has 3-light openings with trefoiled lights and louvres. The crown has stepped battlements behind which sits a pyramid roof incorporating fish-scale slates and an apex weathervane.

Interior

The nave, aisle and chancel have plastered wagon roofs with moulded arched ribs. The 4-bay nave arcade has octagonal piers with scalloped capitals and round arches with 3 orders of chamfer. The chancel arch is plainer with round-headed form and 2 orders of chamfer. The 2-bay chancel arcade has detail similar to the nave arcade but with segmental arches. The arch leading from the north aisle to the vestry is lower but similar to the chancel arch.

The square font bowl stands on an octagonal stem. The numbered pews have simple poppy heads. The polygonal pulpit features blind Gothic panels. The contemporary communion rail is of wood and scrolled iron.

Wall Monuments

Several notable wall monuments have been salvaged from the old church and re-set. In the chancel north wall is a polychrome marble tablet to Thomas Evans (died 1743) and family with pilasters and urn. On the south side of the chancel is a marble tablet to Evan Thomas (died 1917) with a mosaic background. Next to it are a grave slab to Margaret Davies (died 1729) and a small brass memorial to Lewis Jones (died 1803) by J Jones of Carmarthen. In the nave south wall is a tablet commemorating Henry Lewis (died 1822) by D Mainwaring, comprising an inscription flanked by fluted pilasters surmounted by a draped urn on a slate background. Below it is a marble memorial to those who died in the 1914-18 war. In the east wall of the nave is a small marble sarcophagus memorial to David Richards (died 1782) and a cartouche to Mary Anthony (died 1761). In the north aisle is a marble memorial with urn to Thomas Jones (died 1783) by William Paty of Bristol. A simpler marble memorial to Emily Garnons (died 1855) by Reeves of Bath is in the east wall.

Stained Glass

Several windows contain stained glass. The east window, by Clayton & Bell and dated after 1881, shows a figure of Christ. A similar chancel south window dates after 1875. The vestry north window contains a Nativity scene by Kempe & Tower, dated after 1907. In the nave south wall, the easternmost window shows the Virgin Mary in work by C E Kempe from the early 20th century; the next window shows the Rose of Sharon and lilies of the field, also early 20th century, followed by a window depicting Saints Catherine and Margaret.