Ewenny Priory Church

Ewenny Priory Church

A Romanesque church of rubble formerly lime-rendered with ashlar dressings, particularly at the east end, covered with Welsh slate. The building comprises a crossing tower, the wall footings of the north transept and transept chapels (incorporating a later lean-to extension), an intact south transept and chancel.

The crossing tower is low and wide. The former roofline of the north transept adjoins at a string course below the shallow upper storey, which has two small round-headed windows on each side. The stepped battlemented parapet sits on corbels and features arrow loops, corner pinnacles and water chutes, probably dating to around 1300. The weathercoursing and old roof line of the nave are visible on the west face. The roof is low pitched slate. At lower level is a blocked round crossing arch with an inserted square-headed three-light 16th century window.

The ruined north transept contains two east chapels, the outer formerly abutting the precinct wall. The two-bay inner chapel retains the remains of a tunnel vault. Its Romanesque entrance arch is intact with zigzag moulding to the imposts and a billet-moulded hood ending in grotesque stops. A former piscina survives in the wall to the right. A round-headed north doorway now serves as the main entrance, with decorative hinges to the door, and an adjacent squint. The north chancel wall has a single round-headed light to the sanctuary. The east end has clasping buttresses and three stepped round-headed lights, with a string course separating the gable which contains a further light to the vault. The south transept east wall shows two blocked round-headed arches with zigzag imposts to former chapels, whose footings survive, along with a square-headed doorway above and a battlemented parapet with arrow loops. In the south transept wall, the side parapets run out into deep corbelled offsets to corner buttresses, between which are three round-headed lights above a string course where the former cloister adjoined. A corbel table sits above, with some corbels in the face stonework and putlog holes below. In the corner of the west wall abutting the nave is a doorway very similar to the one at the east end of the nave, but with roll moulding.

The interior is not in use. The walls are of ashlar with some lime plaster remaining. The main entrance is in the north chancel wall. At the crossing, each pier has a pair of half-round columns rising from a zigzag impost band about two-thirds up, ending in fluted capitals that merge into a cornice from which plain two-order round arches spring. A replaced boarded crossing ceiling in nine panels between moulded beams rests on plain corbels. The crossing and south aisle floor is of crushed stone, lime and earth. Two segmental arched doorways to the pulpitum have reset medieval tiles on the floor. The south transept east wall has two two-ordered blocked arches with billet moulding and zigzag impost band. Between them is a trefoil-headed niche with roll-moulded surround and a blocked square-headed opening above to the left. The south wall has deep splays to windows on two storeys. At ground level is a four-centred arched tomb recess with roll-moulded hood and hollow chamfers above a defaced slab. A narrow square-headed tower doorway with staircase in the angle occupies the southwest corner. The west wall triforium is a seven-bay gallery with chunky piers and very heavy fluted capitals, the piers round except for two which are square. A high round-arched ground floor doorway marks where the transept adjoins the nave.

Many monuments line the walls and rest on the floor. A particularly important decorated coffin-shaped tomb chest, dating to the early 13th century, commemorates Maurice de Londres and displays a floriated cross and vine scroll border with incised inscription. Other tomb slabs include ones possibly to Maurice's son William (died 1205) and grandson, to Haweis de Londres (died 1274), and to priors and monks. A weathered truncated figure of a knight wearing chain mail and shield lies on a later tomb chest ornamented with relief coats of arms in six quarters on each face. A black and white table tomb to the Carne family from 1650 bears a poem inscription. Ledgers from the 17th century and a baroque early 18th century oval tablet to Richard Carne also survive. Wall monuments to the Turbervill family date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Many fragments of carved masonry remain scattered throughout. The north wall has a door to the vestry with a three-light square-headed window above, similar to those in the nave. The ceiling has been renewed with boarding.

A step leads up to the chancel, which is divided by an unusual composite dark wood screen consisting of 16th century linenfold wainscot panels and 14th century canopywork with close-set mullions and quatrefoil tracery, with a moulded bressumer above. The door is a replacement, though old hinge marks indicate an original existed. The back of the panels facing east are plain. The chancel floor is laid with encaustic tiles. Round-headed opposing doorways pierce the north and south walls. To the right of the north entrance is a deep round-headed niche. A squint through the wall provides a view from outside to the altar.

The stone tunnel vault spans three bays. Each main rib is an ashlar band rising from a pilaster with lightly moulded capital, with intervening ribs of double roll moulding. At wallplate level is a chamfered cornice, below which is a band of zigzag ornament from which the pilasters rise. Three renewed stone steps lead to the sanctuary, where the double roll-moulded ribs intersect without a boss. A zigzag band serves as sillband to the windows, and from it spring in the corners two attached small colonettes with scallop caps which carry the ribs. The stained glass is grisaille with coloured border, the centre east window incorporating a panel of St Michael in Morris style. The south side has a semicircular-headed piscina. A deeply chamfered stone altar with consecration crosses rests on a reconstructed base. Traces of wall painting survive on the east wall, comprising figurative and masonry pattern work.