Church of Saint Cynin

Church of Saint Cynin

A parish church built of rubble stone with concrete tile and slate roofs. The large 15th-century west tower dominates the composition, with a nave, north transept, chancel, and 15th-century south aisle added later.

The tower is constructed of large squared stones with a battered plinth. Moulding continues from the plinth as a hood over the pointed chamfered west door, which has diagonal stops to the chamfer. Above is a hood with stone voussoirs. The parapet is corbelled and embattled, with a northeast stair tower finished flat. The tower's west face features small and damaged 2-light 15th-century bell-lights and two narrow rectangular blocked lights, with further blocked bell-lights on the east side. The north stair tower has three loops with no parapet and a single plain rectangular bell-light set to the right. 19th-century doors have been inserted.

The nave has concrete tiles and a coped east gable. On the north wall is a 2-light 19th-century flat-headed window with pointed cusped lights. The north transept also has concrete tiles, a coped north gable, and large corner stones. It features a similar 19th-century flat-headed 2-light north window, a pointed west door, and a blocked east window. Sword cuts are visible on one northwest cornerstone. The southeast corner has diagonal bonding stones extending to the chancel.

The low chancel has a slate roof and coped east gable. Both north and south walls contain a small cusped 19th-century light towards the east end. A 19th-century Perpendicular-style 2-light pointed east window with hoodmould and voussoirs is set into rebuilt stonework, with an inscribed slate to David Thomas (died 1784) inset to its left. An iron railing on low cut-stone coping surrounds a mid-19th-century chest tomb to Elizabeth Powell of Penycoed attached to the east wall.

The south aisle has coped gables with crosses and 20th-century concrete tiles. Three 19th-century 2-light flat-headed windows feature hoods and cusped pointed lights—one at the west end, one on the right side of the south wall, and one oddly positioned on the east gable. A pointed chamfered south door with diagonal stops to the chamfer and a 19th-century board door are set left of centre. A parapet between the aisle and nave east gables features a 19th-century pointed opening over the roof valley.

Interior features include a plastered vault to the tower and an exposed stone tower arch, pointed with plain imposts. Interior walls are plastered with stone or slate flag floors. The nave roof is 19th-century with three arch-braced collar trusses on corbels. A small Tudor-arched chamfered door to the stair-tower is positioned to the right of the tower arch on the west wall. A corbel in the nave's north wall supports a broad pointed arch to the transept, which has a plastered stone vault. The south arcade comprises three bays, with two plastered arches and one of exposed stone with stone voussoirs to a segmental pointed arch. The octagonal piers—one exposed stone as also the west respond—both feature humped stops. A plastered broad arch opens to the chancel, which has a flagged floor, a 2-bay 19th-century roof, and a stepped sanctuary with tile paving. The south aisle has a 19th-century pine roof and contains a stoup to the left of the south door. 19th-century pine pews, rails, and a vestry screen in the transept complete the furnishings. The pulpit has a stone base supporting a 6-sided panelled wood pulpit brought from Saint Clears church, with crudely carved emblems and symbols in its panels. An octagonal painted font, apparently 19th-century though possibly earlier, has been retooled.

Monuments include: Lieutenant Colonel John Lewes Philipps of Llwyncrwn (died 1858), a marble scroll by King of Bath; Elizabeth Lewes Philipps (died 1813), marble with draped urn, dated 1839 by H. Phillips of Haverfordwest; Reverend John Lewes Philipps (died 1795), a marble oval plaque by Paty of Bristol; Rice Thomas of Castel Gorvod (died 1704), early to mid-18th century with marble cornice and shield; Elizabeth Lewes Philipps (died 1816), a neo-Grec sarcophagus; and Ann Elizabeth Carver (died 1898), a missionary assistant in Egypt. An inscribed plaque to John Phillips of Llwyncrwn (died 1723) is set in a recess on the south wall, perhaps marking a former door.