St Sawel Parish Church

Late C13/early C14, restored 1887-90. West tower, aisle-less nave, short chancel with vestry. Rubble built, steeply pitched slate roofs; coped and corbelled gables with Cross finials. Wooden projecting eaves. Dressed stone C19 octagonal flue to NE corner of nave. Broad W tower with battered base beneath stringcourse. Plain parapet upon closely set corbels (possibly rebuilt late C18). Corbelled water-spout to N. Projecting NE stair turret with loops. Lancet high on N wall of tower. Two restored chamfered loops to W; one to S. Pointed W door, stone voussoirs. Three 1887 lancets of red sandstone (apparently Forest of Dean) to each side of nave, trefoiled heads. Small trefoiled lancet to extreme left of nave of c1340; red sandstone dressings, ogee head. Similar window opposite to N wall in lighter stone. Stone tablet to S wall in memory of Richard Griffiths of Cillyn d1724. 1887 triple lancet E window, hood mould and stops; Forest stone dressings. C14 lancet to S chancel wall as nave, similar window to N wall without the ogee head. Tablet to S wall commemorating 1887 restoration, blocked Priest's door to left; stone lintel. 1887 lean-to vestry to N, pointed E doorway with double chamfered reveals; incised stops to hoodmould. Paired lancets with ogee heads to N. Forest stone dressings.

Plain interior mostly of 1887. Vaulted roof to W (tower) porch, narrow door to stair. Simple pointed chancel arch of 1887, small flanking hagioscope windows. Victorian scissor-rafter roof upon wall-posts. Ribbed boarded chancel roof of same date, crenellated wall-plate. Font reset in W wall N of entry, plain chamfered rounded bowl upon square corbel. Projecting C19 square stone stoup to opposite side of W wall. Raised pentagonal Victorian pulpit, oak linenfold panelling on Bathstone base. Florid Gothic carved stone reredos of 1890 (memorial to Williams-Drummond family of Edwinsford), depicting the Good Shepherd; flanking cusped panels with the Ten Commandments. Trefoiled Victorian piscina. Eight coronas (converted). 1887 pews, stalls and lectern. Tiled Sanctuary floor by Godwin and son of Hereford.