84111

 

II  

Designated  

28/02/2005  

28/02/2005  

Church of St Cynllo  

 

Powys  

Nantmel  

 

Nantmel  

303434  

266372  

 

In a round churchyard on the hillside N of the village centre.  

 

 

A medieval foundation, but rebuilt in 1792 by David Thomas of Rhayader. The nave and chancel were restored in neo-Norman style 1881.  

A neo-Norman style church comprising nave and chancel under a single roof, S porch and W tower of 1792. Walls are rubble stone, with Bath stone dressings introduced in 1881. Roofs are behind coped gables on moulded kneelers, and above a moulded stone cornice, and are tiled with 4 graded bands of fish-scale tiles. C19 iron rainwater goods are retained. Windows and doors are round-headed, and mainly incorporate nook shafts with scallop capitals. The S porch has wooden gates and a corbel table. The S nave door is boarded with strap hinges. The S wall has a single window L of the porch and 2 windows to the R. The E window has 3 stepped round-headed lights with thin shafts. To the lower R of the window is a grave slab to Thomas Lloyd (d 1817). On the N side of the chancel, set back from the E end, is a vestry under an outshut roof. Its N window comprises 2 round-headed lights, and its boarded W door is under a shouldered lintel. The nave has 3 N windows similar to the S. The 3-stage tower has angle buttresses in the W wall, but set-back NW and SW buttresses in the N and S walls. The W doorway, remodelled in 1881 with nook shafts and hood mould, has a boarded door with strap hinges. An added lean-to is on the N side. The middle stage has a small, narrow S window. Round-headed bell openings have wooden louvres. A raised band is beneath an embattled parapet.  

The nave and chancel have a 7-bay roof with corbelled trusses incorporating 2 tiers of arched braces. The 2 bays that constitute the chancel also have similar intermediate trusses. A round arch exposed at the W end of the S wall is probably a window of 1792 blocked in 1881. The round tower arch has nook shafts with scalloped capitals, and is infilled, partly by a wooden screen and doorway. The E window has a rere-arch with similar shafts and capitals, and disc frieze to the arches. A reredos is composed of blind arcading with shafts and scalloped capitals, chevron and roll-moulded arches, and tympani with gold-painted diaper patterns. An aumbry is on a wall shaft in the N wall. A round arch to the N vestry is part infilled and has a wooden screen and doorway. The C19 font has a square bowl with scalloped underside. The bowl has roundels with IHS, dove, Alpha and Omega and cross, and cable moulding to the rim. The round stem is on a square base with foliage moulding to the angles. Pews are plain, and the choir stalls have open arcaded fronts. The polygonal freestone pulpit has mandorla-shaped panels with symbols including Chi Rho and IHS. The communion rail has iron uprights with scrolled brackets to a wooden hand rail. There are several wall monuments. In the nave N wall is an alabaster inscription tablet to Daniel Reid (d 1827) below an urn. A memorial to John Davies (d 1812) and family, by Jennings of Hereford, comprises an inscription panel with foliage apron, and entablature surmounted by an urn. A small simple inscription panel to Ben Michael (killed 1917) is by B. Lloyd of Rhayader. A brass plaque commemorating Thomas Humphreys (d 1900) is by Cawthorp & Sons of London. In the nave S wall, a memorial tablet to Elizabeth Davies (d 1827) by B. Jennings, is flanked by consoles and surmounted by a sarcophagus. Two inscription tablets by Thomas of Brecon are on the same background slate, and commemorate Morgan Evans (d 1802) and his son Morgan Evans (d 1829). A memorial to John Evans (d 1798) has an inscription panel, apron with heraldic shield, and is surmounted by a draped urn. In the N wall of the tower is an inscription panel with pediment to Charles Powell (pre 1836) and a small oval tablet commemorating Lewis Morgan (d 1798). Most windows contain stained glass, depicting Biblical scenes. The E window shows the principal events in the life of Christ, including Nativity and Crucifixion. In the chancel N and S walls, dated 1887, are figures of Christ with Mary Magdalene. In the nave S wall are Jesus with Mary and Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, dated 1895, and Christ with Disciples at the sea of Galilee (post 1900). In the nave N wall is Christ healing the sick, dated 1897 and Christ blessing a woman in Jerusalem, not dated.  

Listed for its special architectural interest as a mainly C19 church of definite quality and character with good interior detail and fine C18 tower.