12746

 

II*  

Designated  

16/01/1952  

 

Church of St Brynarch  

 

Pembrokeshire  

Nevern  

 

 

208332  

240029  

N  

Situated some 350m N of bridge over Afon Nyfer.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

C15 Anglican parish church with earlier tower, much restored 1864 by R.J.Withers, architect of London.  

W tower, nave with short S aisle and N projecting chapel and slightly offset chancel. Rubble stone with slate roofs, coped gables and cross finials. During the restoration all the window tracery was replaced with intersecting ogee tracery of early Perpendicular type, the S porch was added as were the chancel and S aisle buttresses. Forest of Dean stone was used for dressings in 1864. Tower is broad with battered plinth, small two-light bell-openings and corbelled embattled parapet. NE stair tower. Front 5-step angle buttresses, C19 4-light W window under superimposed relieving arches. Nave has 1864 blue lias ashlar porch with pointed inner and outer doors, one 3-light to right on S side, two 3-light windows to N before N lean-to with renewed W door, N 2-light and E flat-headed 2-light. S aisle is unusually two-storey, with priest's chamber in loft. Gabled roof, W end stair projection, ashlar capped, two renewed 3-light S windows between added buttresses (reset carved cross over centre buttress) and 3-light E window with quatrefoil roundel in gable above. Chancel has small lean-to spaces each side at E end, that to S with 3-light S window and single E light, that to N with 2-light N window. Two renewed 2-light chancel windows each side with buttresses and big 3-light E window.  

1864 tower and chancel arches, roof and two bay Forest of Dean stone arcade to S aisle on octagonal pier with cap. Fine 1864 Bath stone font and pulpit. Dismantled medieval font, square shallow basin chamfered to circular base. Chancel has broad 4-centred arch to N organ recess and similar to S recess, both granite, 1864 ashlar reredos with carved cornice and three inlaid marble panels. Encaustic tile wall panels. S aisle has low much renewed stone quadripartite rib vaulting in two cells, unique in N. Pembrokeshire. Some granite corbels, formerly for wall shafts. At W end is very low door to stair to priest's chamber above. Furnishings: two brass candelabra, 1864 stalls and pews, 1918 brass eagle lectern. Stained glass: E window circa 1879, chancel S window 1864 by Cavers and Barraud, N window c1940 by E.L. Armitage, and in S recess glass of c1905. Monuments: three interesting incised plaster panels, one in chancel S recess to W.Warren of Trewern (d 1710), one in chancel N recess to G.Lloyd of Cwmgloyne (d 1731) and one in S aisle to Katherine Warren (d 1720). Numerous C19 plaques to Bowen family: in nave G. Bowen (d 1810) with draped urn, and in chancel E.Warren Jones (d 1829) with draped urn, signed D.Mainwaring. A curious cross-inscribed stone with unusual knotting is reused in S aisle window sill and another inscribed stone on adjoining sill, Latin and Ogham, both found 1906 in wall leading to priest's chamber. S aisle was the Trewern-Henllys chapel and N recess was called Glasdir chapel. The two chancel recesses are supposed to be sepulchral recesses.  

Reference: Church guide Pembs Herald 3.6.1864