Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Date of Designation
25/05/1962
Date of Amendment
16/09/1999
Name of Property
Church of St Tudor Mynyddislwyn
Unitary Authority
Caerphilly
Location
On the crest of Mynyddislwyn, surrounded by a walled churchyard.
Broad Class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
History
Church has a Celtic dedication and a surrounding roughly rectangular churchyard. Twyn Tudor medieval motte is adjacent to S. Church is first mentioned c 1102 but all surviving masonry appears later. N arcade suggests a later medieval enlargement of the nave. Church was severely damaged by fire in 1800 and was restored and re-opened in 1820; much existing fabric appears to date from this time; further restored in 1906-7 - date of barrel roof - with roof repaired in 1960s with composite tiles; these are being replaced by Welsh slates and leadwork in 1990s. Plans to augment bells by installing peal from St Luke's Abercarn in early C21. Churchyard was cleared in C19, as revealed by older yews which stand on mounds and the lack of early tombstones. Before the eventual creation of separate parishes in the later C19, Mynyddislwyn parish church served a large community of rural farmsteads and early industrial development in the valleys.
Exterior
Parish church. Nave, integral chancel, S porch, W tower, long N aisle. Of narrow sandstone rubble with some roughly dressed stone for quoins and some dressings, with some ashlar; part Welsh slate part composite tile roof. Nave windows have a fine set of early C19 iron-framed glazing with intersecting tracery. Tower of 3 storeys is embattled with small rectangular lights to the tower chambers, smaller to the turret which adjoins N aisle; single light louvred openings with voussoirs to ringing chamber; string courses separate the storeys. Small moulded pointed arched W doorway; OS bench mark on SW. N aisle has sprocketed eaves, square headed doorway with voussoirs and 2 side windows; 2-light NE window and E chancel window both have Perpendicular style tracery; against the E wall is the headstone of a tombchest to Thomas Elias (d 1851) with plentiful late Classical decoration, painted at some stage; at SE the wall is unfinished; heavy moulding to 2-light SE window. Gabled buttress with offset indicates division between nave and chancel; nave has 3 windows, the iron frame in one replaced by a late C20 stained glass window. Porch has plain pointed arched doorway with narrow voussoirs. Good cast metal hoppers.
Interior
Nave interior is of bare stone, rendered and limewashed to chancel, limewashed to tower. Wagon roof has a boarded ceiling. No chancel arch. 4-bay N arcade, the octagonal piers on very deep remodelled broached square plinths; deeply moulded capitals; pointed arch in NW wall has voussoirs. Tall pointed tower arch has shallow mouldings to sides, deeper and recessed to arch; step down to tower chamber; narrow tower doorway to N has deeply chamfered surround. NW bay is boarded off to form kitchen and vestry; NE bay a chapel. Step up to S door which is square-headed with keystone and voussoirs incorporating arched 6-panelled door. Panelled pulpit against S wall has tester, probably the survivor of an C18-early C19 seating arrangement. Small font possibly early C19 with painted cover. On NE chancel wall an C18 wall monument, and an unusual painted wooden C18 wall monument by S door; others from early C19 and later. Corona light fittings in tower and vestry. Plain quarry glazing to the iron-framed windows; stained glass to E windows and chancel and S window by John Petts late C20. Display case to nave rear contains Bibles; some ledger slabs to floor.
Reason for designation
Listed II* as an important historic parish church of SE Wales in a commanding position, including medieval nave arcade and a rare set of early C19 iron-framed windows with contemporary glazing. Group value with lychgate.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]