Church of Saint David

Church of Saint David

Anglican parish church constructed in purple sandstone rubble with slate roofs. The building comprises a large west tower, nave with south porch, and chancel.

The tall tower has a high sloping base with a string course above, a moulded coved cornice with gargoyle rainwater spouts, and an embattled parapet. A sheer southeast stair tower, without splayed base but with higher battlements, rises alongside. Each face of the main tower has two small louvred bell lights with pointed heads. The west side has its base cut back for a low pointed hollow-chamfered west door with a stoup on the south side, three corbels above under the string course, and a relieving arch over the string course. Above are a cusped pointed single light and a smaller cusped single louvred light in a hollow-moulded rectangular frame. The south side has a similar louvred single light, whilst the north side has a single loop set higher up.

The nave has a straight joint to the tower on its south side, followed by a late medieval or 16th-century two-light flat-headed window with segmental-pointed heads to the lights and sunk spandrels. Adjacent is a gabled porch with a finely moulded 16th-century pointed arch in red stone, comprising two hollow mouldings separated by a roll mould. Within the porch are stone benches and a much repaired panelled roof of six by six panels with moulded ribs. A 15th-century segmental-pointed south door opens into the porch. A fine studded plank door with long wrought iron hinges sits within a red stone arch of two ogee mouldings separated by two steps. A damaged late medieval stoup to the right has a three-sided bowl front. To the right of the porch are two late medieval segmental-pointed windows with panel tracery over three ogee-headed lights.

The chancel has some affixed memorial plaques. A Tudor-arched small doorway in red sandstone, fitted with a 19th-century door, is followed by another similar 15th-century three-light window with renewed mullions. The east end has a 15th-century four-light pointed window with similar heads to the lights and panel tracery. Memorial plaques on the east end wall include those to the Watkins family of Meity Isaf, the Jones family of Trecastle and Bailie, and the Jones family of Dolegwyn. The north side of the chancel has a similar 15th-century window with renewed tracery. The nave's north side features a rood stair projection to the left and two similar three-light windows with renewed mullions, along with a 16th-century flat-headed two-light window.

Interior

The broad nave has painted plastered walls and a panelled 15th-century barrel roof of ten by sixteen panels, with wall-plate panels of half size and moulded timbers. The plaster in the panels was restored in 1987. A plastered pointed vault extends into the tower with a small pointed red stone door accessing the winding tower stair. High on the nave's west wall is a door into the tower. A broad rough stone segmental-pointed chancel arch with double chamfering to the arch and single chamfering to the piers separates the two spaces. The nave has a lower rood-stair door on the north side, constructed in purple stone with a segmental-pointed, chamfered form with diagonal stops, fitted with a 19th-century plank door with wrought iron hinges. An upper rood-loft opening in the angle to the east wall is segmental-pointed with a stone left jamb. Windows sit in plastered cambered-headed reveals. The chancel is slightly out of alignment with the nave. It has a similar barrel roof of ten by twelve panels, smaller than those of the nave. One step leads to the sanctuary and one to the altar. The east wall displays ornate encaustic tiling, also on the sloping sill of the east window, with evangelist symbols, dated 1888 to D. Jeffreys Powell. A tomb recess on the south wall has a low Tudor-arched head.

Fittings

An octagonal font dated 1869, standing on an octagonal shaft with the bowl lettered in large Gothic capitals reading 'Christian', is accompanied by a wooden Gothic font cover with eight gables. A small 12th-century font, discovered in 1896, stands under the tower, featuring a crude round bowl on a round shaft set on a square base of upturned cushion form, standing on a wider square plinth with chamfered corners.

An oak tower screen preserves the remains of the 15th-century chancel screen: three bays with massive chamfered and stopped panelled lower part and an open arched upper part with crocketted attached pinnacles, vine-carved spandrels, and top beam. A heavy oak pulpit dated 1924, created for R. & M. Jefferys by Harry Hems of Exeter, features ogee blind tracery and crockets to paired panels with four statues at angles under crocketted canopies, set on an octagonal plinth with oak steps featuring traceried roundel panels.

A brass eagle lectern commemorates David Lewis, who died in 1917. A 17th-century altar table is preserved under the tower, alongside village stocks dating from 1798.

A chancel screen from 1925 to D. & E. Jeffreys of Neuadd, also by H. Hems, displays late Gothic style with five bays featuring delicate traceried heads to openings and a crested beam. Oak altar rails have open panels framed with neo-Jacobean scrolls. Oak stalls feature poppyhead finials and open frontals with shouldered upper panels over quatrefoil roundels. A carved Gothic oak altar table of five panels shows a centre Lamb of God flanked by corn, vine, lily, and passion flower, probably early 20th century, in memory of W. B. Evans. The nave pews have panelled backs similar to those at Llanfrynach, with shaped bench ends.

Incised Stones

A plaster replica of the Llywel stone, a large slab found in 1878 on the Trecastle to Glasfynydd road about to be used as a gatepost, displays remarkable incised patterns possibly dating to the 8th century. The back bears Ogam markings and an inscription reading 'Macutreni saliciduni', presumably from the 5th or 6th century. The original is now held in the National Museum of Wales. Also present is the Aberhydfer stone, marked with Oghams and letters possibly reading 'Taricoro'.

Memorials

The tower's south wall bears a slate plaque to Howel Bevan of Llwynycarw, who died in 1761, and the Rev. John Powel, who died in 1801. A west wall slab shows a relief foliate cross with eroded lettering. The nave's north wall features a marble gabled memorial with an oval plaque to John Evans, banker, died 1876 (with a matching memorial to T. Evans opposite). A grey and white marble plaque commemorates a daughter of the Rev L. Llewellyn, died 1813, by Wood of Bristol. A marble plaque with an urn on grey marble records David Lloyd of Blaenclydach, died 1808, also by Wood. The south wall bears memorials to David Bevan, 1868, and Thomas Evans of Castle House, died 1865, by A. Evans of Sennybridge. Mary and Watkin Lloyd of Trecastle, died 1845 and 1855, are commemorated by G. Hay of Brecon.

The chancel's north wall carries an incised plaque to S'bil, wife of Howell Morgan and daughter of Thomas Jeffreys of Ceven Rossan, died 1600. A marble neo-Grec plaque honours David Jeffreys of Trecastle, died 1852, and his wife, died 1856, by Edwardes, Edwards & Co of London. Similar plaques record Rees Jeffreys, died 1900, by A. Evans of Sennybridge, and D.T. Jeffreys, died 1923. A large white marble ornate Gothic memorial to Lewis Powell of Maespoth and Clynmeddig, died 1867, features crocketted finials and a column-shafted pointed arch with stellar cusping, by Joseph Chapman of Frome, Somerset. A Gothic memorial honours Catherine Jeffreys Powell of Glanwysc, died 1932, and her sisters, died 1907 and 1927.

The chancel's south wall bears a marble plaque commemorating the works of Rev. Lewis Price, including the National School and house (1863), the Vicarage (1865), restoration of the church and rebuilding of Llywel schoolroom (1869), Pentrefelin National School and house (1872-3), purchase of the site for Pontarhydfer church (1876), and restoration of the church tower (1877-8). A memorial records Edward Jeffreys of Beyleye Cwmdwr, died 1642, and Watkin Jeffreys, died 1684.

Stained Glass

A large four-light east window displays two panels of the Baptism and Crucifixion with small outer panels of Evangelist symbols, in memory of Lewis Powell MD, dated 1872. The bright colours are by Cox & Sons. A chancel north three-light window commemorates Dr J. Jeffreys Powell and depicts SS Llywel and Luke and the Crucifixion, created in the mid to later 20th century by Luxford Studios of New Barnet.