9850

 

II*  

Designated  

21/01/1964  

31/03/2004  

Church of Saint Michael  

 

Ceredigion  

Trawsgoed  

 

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn  

266508  

276051  

 

Situated in centre of the village in large churchyard.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Anglican parish church, medieval, C14 to C15 with fine surviving C15 roofs. Repaired in 1835 for £200-£300, it is said that the crossing tower was lowered by 6 feet at about this time, but there is no clear evidence as a C15 bell frame remains. In 1870 it was said that the chancel and N transept walls and roofs had been rebuilt and the timbers of the nave and S transept repaired, all in the time of the Rev L Evans, but the work had been abandoned and was now deteriorating. The vestry books show that in 1841 a gallery in the S transept was ordered to be taken down and a door into the transept blocked, and in 1846 that the N transept be taken down and rebuilt as dangerous. In 1870 the work required was to cost £910 according to the architect R K Penson, and appears to have been finished by 1874 when the completion form was signed by Penson's partner A K Ritchie. There was a repair of the roofs in 1931 by W D Caroe. The N transept was called in 1846 the Canghell Dywyll (dark chancel). The church is first noted in 1254 as Llanfihangel Gelynrhud.  

Parish church, rubble stone with slate eaves roofs and bargeboarded gables with iron cross finials. Cruciform plan with large central crossing tower, the nave, chancel and transepts relatively low. S porch and NE vestry. Windows are generally plain square-headed 2-light mullion windows in red sandstone with chamfered surrounds and leaded glazing, perhaps C20. Nave W end has 2-light with voussoirs, and large C19 chimney at SW corner with buttressed front and moulded stone octagonal shaft. S has porch and two 2-light windows. Porch is gabled with pointed chamfered entry in pink stone with tooled grey stone voussoirs, bar stop to chamfer. Pair of c1870 wooden gates, C19 barrel roof in 6x6 panels. Chamfered pink stone inner S door with bar stop, double doors of c1870. S transept has no plinth, battered sides and 2-light S window. Chancel has plinth, S cambered-headed 2-light with stone voussoirs, grey stone jambs and red stone cusped tracery, E end has 3-light window with cambered head, the stone voussoirs and jambs in grey stone, with hollow-moulded red stone mullions. N has single lancet with tooled grey stone heads and gabled vestry with Bath stone traceried pointed 2-light to N gable end, bargeboards, and chimney on E side. N transept has one square headed 2-light, nave N has 2. Crossing tower is tall square and very plain with 2 vent loops each side and cambered-headed bell-openings with crude stone voussoirs. Minimal corbels to embattled parapet with moulded (possibly cast-stone) copings. Recessed C19 octagonal short spire with fishscale slating and weathercock.  

Plastered interior with fine C15 oak roofs. Nave roof is open-panelled shallow curved roof in 6 x 10 panels the transverse ribs moulded and probably C15, the axial pieces and bosses renewed. Moulded wallplate. Windows have ashlar quoins to reveals and ashlar sills. Arches to centre crossing tower are pointed and plastered, with raised imposts. Flat timber ceiling on 2 beams. Chamfered wall in NE corner of crossing, for stair tower entered from narrow square-headed door in corner of N transept. Transepts have similar roofs of 6x3 panels and N and S transept windows have stepped heads to reveals. Two steps to chancel, very long pieces of pink conglomerate stone. Chancel roof is similar 6 x 5 panels with moulded transverse ribs and renewed axial ribs and bosses. moulded wallplate. Cambered-headed N door to vestry, 2 steps to sanctuary with altar rails, one step to altar. Chancel and sanctuary have tiled floors in pattern of red, buff and black with some encaustic tiles. Fittings, mostly of 1870-4 and by Penson: C19 octagonal font with trefoils in roundels and stars of David, on quatrefoil red stone shaft with moulded cap and base. A small broken octagonal font on floor with broken round shaft, uncertain date. Pitch-pine octagonal pulpit with Gothic panels on octagonal timber shaft. C19 pine pews, Gothic reading desk, and stalls. Gothic timber altar rails in 14 open panels with trefoil cusping with roundels in spandrels and lower half pierced with 2 trefoils. Oak Gothic altar table. Remarkable carved oak reredos of 1919 by Jules Bernaerts with inscription below 'To the Glory of God and to commemorate the victorious restoration of peace this reredos is presented by Mr and Mrs Edward Roberts March 1919' flanked by oak wreath with PAX to left and laurel wreath with VICTORIA to right. Reredos depicts the Last Supper in dramatic Baroque style in high relief. Tower is said to have a C15 oak bell-frame surviving and bell of 1686 by Wm and Thos Covey of Limerick. Stained glass: W 2-light 2001 by Janet Hardy, rural subjects. Chancel N lancet has C19 stamped patterned quarries with leaf design.  

Included at Grade II* as a substantial medieval cruciform church with imposing crossing tower.