Church of Saint Cynog

Church of Saint Cynog

This is a parish church of rubble stone with slate roofs, comprising a nave with chancel under a single roof, a parallel-roofed north-east chapel or chancel aisle, a south porch, and a large west tower. The building contains elements spanning from the early medieval period to the 19th century.

The tower is a dominant feature with a high sloping base surmounted by a bull-nosed stringcourse, another similar stringcourse at mid-height, and a coved stringcourse beneath an embattled parapet. It has a slated pyramid roof with wrought-iron finial and weathercock. A large south-east stair turret with similar stringcourses but higher battlements and no plinth adjoins it. The tower displays small 15th-century two-light bell openings in red stone with arched lights and sunk spandrels, a rainwater spout on the south side, and a small light in the second stage. The west side has a larger single light at ground-floor level and a smaller one under the mid stringcourse, with two rainwater spouts. The joint between the nave's south side and the tower suggests the tower is earlier than the main structure.

The main body features unusual three-light late Gothic windows with segmental pointed heads and two mullions with very slight cusping. The nave's west end, formerly a schoolroom, retains two earlier 19th-century segmental-pointed windows with cut grey stone voussoirs, wooden Y-tracery and leaded glazing, and has flat eaves distinct from the rest of the structure.

The south porch is substantial, with later 19th-century fretted bargeboards and a pointed arch with chamfered medieval long stones to the jambs and medieval arch stones, though the jambs were raised in the 19th century with inserted stones. The inner doorway has a pointed chamfered opening and a painted grained door with cover strips. An early stoup with a square raised panel on three sides of a canted front stands within. Three three-light windows flank the porch to the right; the first is a 19th-century copy, and the last lights the chancel with a segmental-pointed chamfered priest's door to its left.

The east end displays twin gables with overhanging verges, each containing a four-light Perpendicular window with ogee heads to the lights and panel tracery, with no structural joint between them, indicating they were built as one element.

The north side of the nave shows a rebuilt right end with a blocked square-headed window of possibly ancient date, its tooled stone lintel far overlapping the tooled stone jambs and slightly cut into for the arch head. A straight joint marks older wall material with a sloping base beneath a 17th or 18th-century two-light oak window with leaded lights and timber lintel, followed by a three-light segmental-pointed window matching those on the south wall. In the angle to the north-east chapel stands a hipped 19th-century low building of squared stone with a west door and small north single light.

The north-east chapel has a west gable overhanging at the verge with a similar medieval three-light window and a plain later 19th-century pointed sandstone doorway to the left. Its north wall displays two similar three-light windows, the centre one a 19th-century replacement and the left one medieval.

Interior

Within the porch lies a remarkable 5th or 6th-century incised stone bearing the inscription "Rugniatio Livendoni" (the second word possibly an eroded "Fili Vendoni") with two equal-armed crosses, one above the other with one encircled, probably added in the 7th to 9th centuries. Possible Ogam marks appear on the edge. The porch provides access to an earlier 19th-century whitewashed plastered passage with the nave to the right and the former schoolroom, now vestry, to the left. The floor is stone-flagged with a six-panel door to the left. The schoolroom and tower base were not inspected, but the tower is said to contain a stone with a ring-cross incised over the door and a tall blocked tower arch. The schoolroom reportedly has a wood floor, flat ceiling, a blocked fireplace in the north wall, and a tablet dated 1758.

The nave is accessed through double fielded-panelled six-panel doors. It features a fine oak panelled roof in 12 by 25 small panels with moulded timbers, and a green baize west door. A north arcade to the chapel comprises three bays with 15th-century octagonal piers and responds with caps and bases, and chamfered pointed arches; the north respond may be earlier. There is no chancel arch, with one step to the chancel, one step after the chancel stalls, and one step to the sanctuary. Victorian encaustic tiles pave the floors. The north-east chapel has a similar roof of 10 by 18 panels and is reached by two steps.

The font is possibly 11th-century, a small bowl with a band of raised crude quatrefoils divided by oval pellets, beneath another band of oval pellets. The rim displays eroded zigzags with an inscription in Runic letters—the only Welsh example—with the Runic letters repeated in Lombardic script as "Siwurd + Gwlmer". The bowl rests on a massive bell-shaped base with a ring moulding at mid-height, standing on a finely detailed square base with coved top moulding ornamented with trefoil or fleur-de-lys motifs at the corners.

An ornate reredos and east-end panelling of 1907 features a carved vine-scroll cornice and cresting, with side panels displaying carved lily and passion-flower motifs, and the reredos itself showing wheat and vine flanking a cross with canopy. An 18th-century pulpit sits on a stone base of circa 1904, with a pine fielded-panelled three-sided front, steps with turned balusters and panelled newels, and wrought-iron rails with twisted standards and leaf scrolls. The stalls were made up from old panelling. The pews have fielded-panelled ends with buttresses, fielded-panelled backs, and wall-panelling. Oil lamps on turned wooden standards—three on the south, four on the north—illuminate the interior. Metal boards with painted texts of the Commandments stand at the east end.

Stained Glass

The east window of four lights commemorates the Reverend David Parry (died 1877) and depicts the Nativity, Presentation, Crucifixion, and Ascension. The north aisle east window is similar. A nave three-light window of circa 1930 by Powell of Whitefriars shows the Virgin Mary with Saints Luke and John. The nave north window commemorates Anne Jordan of Abersenny (died 1962) and depicts Saint Mary, by Luxford Studios of New Barnet. The north aisle north has two three-light windows by Taylor and Clifton, one commemorating the Thomas family of Abersenny (1906). The chancel south window, late 19th-century by Mayer of Munich, commemorates A.M. Story Maskelyne and depicts the Sermon on the Mount. A nave south three-light window to W. and M. Davies of Cwmwysg (1925) by Jones and Willis shows the Light of the World with Saints David and Cynog.

Memorials

Above the arcade stands a draped urn over a neo-Grec plaque to the Reverend Walter Williams of Bayllia (died 1818). Nave memorials include those to Lewis Howell of Baylie (died 1762); Mary Powell of Bailiae (died 1739), signed by John William and featuring a painted winged head; and Gwellian Havard gent. (died 1692). An aisle south-wall plaque with three ovals and tiny relief Last Judgment figures commemorates Watkin David Price of Neuadd (died 1772), Ann Jones (died 1777), and Evan David Price (died 1764). Numerous incised floor slabs are present throughout. The north wall bears a plaque to L.M. Downes of Gellybant, Llanddetty, and family from 1837; plaques to Jeffrey Williams (died 1637) and two other 17th-century examples; Jenkin Watkins of Bedwlwyn (died 1767); an alabaster and marble plaque of 1907 to the Reverend P Morgan (died 1868) and family. The east wall displays a plaque to Thomas Probert (died 1744) with angle-heads signed "T, Brute"; a well-lettered plaque to Bridgett Debettot of Stoke Burford, Salop (died 1738); the south wall has an oval plaque to Anne Hooton (died 1746), signed by J. Gwyn. The chancel south wall contains a marble Gothic memorial to the Morgan family (1895); a memorial with urn on grey marble to the Reverend Thomas Williams of Trephilip (died 1856); a neo-Grec memorial to the Reverend D. Reynell (died 1852) by Jennings of Hereford; and a trapezoid neo-Grec memorial to the Reverend Thomas Williams (died 1832). Further memorials commemorate Rebecca and Jane Williams of Trephilip (died 1869 and 1871) by King of Hereford; and Samuel Jones, saddler (died 1855) and children to 1899.