11537

 

II  

Designated  

03/06/1964  

10/02/2000  

Church of St Mary, Pennard  

 

Swansea  

Pennard  

Swansea  

Pennard  

256550  

188740  

 

On the W side of the B4436 N of its junction with an unclassified road to Southgate.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The present parish church is the later of two medieval churches in Pennard. The earlier church close to Pennard Castle is considered to have been the original parish church and was abandoned in the C16 due to the encroachment of sand. Fragments from the old church are said to have been salvaged and incorporated into the present church. The church was restored in 1847, the chancel arch was altered in 1891 and a vestry added in 1899.  

A rubble-stone church comprising nave with W tower and S porch, and a lower and narrower chancel. The nave, tower and chancel walls have a shallow batter. Slate roofs are behind coped gables. The nave S wall has, to the L of the porch, a blocked square-headed window, immediately L of which are 2 straight joints with a triangular dormer above. To the R of the porch is a single C19 2-light window with Y tracery. The porch, dated 1847 in relief below the apex, has a segmental pointed arch and double iron gates. The chancel S wall has a small lancet at the W end, then a low blocked doorway under a segmental pointed head, a blocked pointed window R of centre and a lancet further R. The latter lancet has a hood with re-used dog-tooth moulding from the old church. Above and to the R of the window is an early C19 oval memorial tablet. The E window consists of 2 cusped lights under a square head with a hood mould. On the N side of the chancel is a vestry added in 1899, next to which is an added gabled projection housing the organ. This has a window with Y-tracery and doorway with re-used chamfered jambs. The nave N wall has a blocked pointed doorway to the centre, and a single window with Y tracery to its R. A triangular dormer at the W end corresponds with the S wall. An added projection is set against the N side of the tower and W side of the nave. The 2-stage tower has 2 corbel tables in the W wall, the upper of which is below the embattled crown. The E wall also has 2 corbel tables (with a third visible inside). The N wall has a single narrow light, while in the S wall are similar windows but blocked.  

The nave has a ceiled 7-bay wagon roof. The plain chancel arch is pointed and plastered. The chancel roof is 3 bays and similar to the nave. The E window has a low segmental rere arch, and is flanked by keeled shafts that look to have been designed either for an earlier, taller window, or to have been salvaged from the old church. The piscina has a single attached shaft below it and a triangular head. The polygonal pulpit has Jacobean panels with beasts' heads and is constructed of parts reclaimed from a pulpit at Shiplake, Oxfordshire. The round font also comprises re-used materials. It is composed of 2 separate pieces, the upper of which has an unusually small lead-lined bowl and has thin shafts around the rim suggesting it has been inverted. It is said to have originally been the base of a cross shaft that was converted to a stoup. The lower piece is said to have been a millstone. The stones were installed as the new font in 1937 on a square base, which was probably the base of the previous font. The base is square with splayed angles. The Jacobean font cover is from Sonning church, Berkshire. A wooden tablet over the chancel arch shows the 10 Commandments, Creed, Lords Prayer and Royal Arms. A W gallery is dated 1948. Steps lead up from under the gallery into the embrasure of the W window. The pews have plain panelled ends. Several windows have early C20 glass. The E window has Bible scenes by T F Curtis of Ward & Hughes. The SE chancel window, by W Glasby and dated 1931, shows an archangel holding flowers, while the SW chancel window of c1935, possibly also by Glasby, has a Virgin and Child. Memorial glass in the nave N window is dated 1948. In the S wall of the chancel is a marble wall tablet with achievement, commemorating John Bennet (d1723) and his son (d1726). In the N wall are 2 wall tablets, to the Beale family, c1770s, comprising a broken pediment, achievement and Latin inscription, and a plainer white marble tablet on a black background to Thomas Penrice (d1846), made by P Rogers of Swansea.  

Listed as a parish church retaining substantial medieval fabric and detail.