9401

 

II*  

Designated  

30/11/1966  

30/11/2000  

Church of Saint Cynin  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llangynin  

Carmarthen  

Llangynin  

225396  

218043  

 

Situated in an isolated position on a minor road some 2km S of the centre of the village of Llangynin.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Medieval parish church, with C15 tower. Nave and chancel, stone vaulted N transept, and parallel S aisle, possibly added in the C15. Few dateable details but nave may be earliest part. Chancel stonework looks much altered even before C19. C19 restorations in 1842-3 by John Phillips, builder, most of this work removed during 1874-5 restoration by John Prichard of Llandaff, who replaced the roofs with new copings, replaced the windows, inserted Glogue slate paving, pine pews, encaustic tiles and made the N transept into a vestry, all for £600.  

Parish church, rubble stone with concrete tile and slate roofs. Large C15 W tower with nave, N transept, chancel and C15 added S aisle. Tower is of large squared stones, battered plinth with moulding continued as hood over pointed chamfered W door with diagonal stops to chamfer. C19 doors. Stone voussoirs over hood. Corbelled embattled parapet and NE stair tower finished flat. Small and damaged 2-light C15 W bell-lights and 2 narrow rectangular blocked lights on W face, blocked bell-lights on E side. N side stair tower has 3 loops and no parapet, a single plain rectangular bell-light set to right. Nave has concrete tiles, coped E gable and N wall 2-light C19 flat-headed window with pointed cusped lights. N transept has concrete tiles, coped N gable and large corner stones, similar C19 flat-headed 2-light N window, pointed W door and blocked window on E wall. Sword cuts on one NW cornerstone. SE corner has bonding stones diagonally across to chancel. Low chancel has slate roof and coped E gable. One small cusped C19 light towards E end of both N and S walls. C19 Perp style 2-light pointed E window with hoodmould and voussoirs. Inset in rebuilt stonework to left is long inscribed slate to David Thomas d1784. Attached to E wall is iron railing on low cut-stone coping around mid C19 chest tomb to Elizabeth Powell of Penycoed. S aisle has coped gables with crosses, C20 concrete tiles and C19 2-light flat-headed windows with hood and cusped pointed lights, one at W end, one at right side of S wall and one oddly set right to right on E gable. Pointed chamfered S door to left of centre, with diagonal stops to chamfer and C19 board door. Parapet between aisle and nave E gables with C19 pointed opening over roof valley.  

Plastered vault to tower. Exposed stone tower arch, pointed with plain imposts. Plastered interior walls with stone or slate flag floors. C19 nave roof with 3 arch-braced collar trusses on corbels. Small Tudor-arched chamfered door to stair-tower to right of tower arch on W wall. Corbel in nave N wall to left of broad pointed arch to transept, which has plastered stone vault. Three bay S arcade, two arches plastered, but right arch exposed stone with stone voussoirs to segmental pointed arch. Octagonal piers, one exposed stone, as also the W respond, both with humped stops. Plastered broad arch to chancel which has flagged floor, 2-bay C19 roof, and stepped sanctuary with tile paving. S aisle has C19 pine roof. Stoup to left of S door. C19 pine pews, rails and vestry screen in transept. Pulpit has stone base not suited to 6-sided panelled wood pulpit brought from St Clears church, with emblems and symbols crudely carved in panels. Painted octagonal font, apparently C19, though perhaps earlier, and retooled. Monuments: Lt Col John Lewes Philipps of Llwyncrwn (d 1858), marble scroll by King of Bath; Elizabeth Lewes Philipps (d 1813), marble with draped urn, 1839 by H. Phillips of Haverfordwest; Rev. John Lewes Philipps (d 1795), marble oval plaque by Paty of Bristol, and Rice Thomas of Castel Gorvod (d 1704), early to mid C18 with marble cornice and shield; Elizabeth Lewes Philipps (d 1816), neo-Grec sarcophagus and Ann Elizabeth Carver (d 1898), missionary assistant in Egypt. In a recess on the s wall, perhaps a former door, inscribed plaque to John Phillips of Llwyncrwn (d 1723).  

Graded II* as a substantially medieval church with fine W tower and arcade. Early character retained in simple C19 restoration.