6768

 

II  

Designated  

17/01/1963  

22/06/2005  

Church of St Cattwg  

 

Powys  

Glyn Tarell  

Brecon  

Llanspyddid  

301180  

228194  

S  

Situated in a prominent position in Llanspyddid village on S side of A40.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Anglican parish church, dedicated to St Cattwg or Cadog, C14 much restored in 1879-80 to plans by C. Buckeridge (died 1873), for £800. Recorded in 1291. This was the church of which the Rev Thomas Williams, 'Vicar Gwyn', the founder of the Abercamlais line was vicar in the later C16. The church is not aligned precisely E-W. In the churchyard is a C7 to C9 stone with incised crosses, it had an inscription noted by Lhuyd in 1698, but was apparently broken in half c. 1880. N of the church is the tombstone of Gustavus Adolphus John of Llanllwni, Carms., died 1766, aged 40, noted by Theophilus Jones in 1800 as having been a black man, though no further details are given.  

Parish church, rubble stone with C20 concrete plain tiles to roofs overhanging at eaves, which have recessed oak wall-plates. Single vessel with W bellcote, N porch and SW vestry. W end has large 1879 three-light window with trefoiled roundel in head, hoodmould and relieving arch over. Bellcote of 1879 is of cut stone, with rectangular base, stringcourse, two cusped-pointed openings and coped gable. N wall has added small lean-to to right of big N porch. This has rubble side walls but may have been timber-framed as the walls enclose a big front oak frame with chamfered arched braces to cambered collar, the braces forming a pointed arch. The foot of the right jamb is missing, the remainder resting on rubble stone. Exceptional pair of late medieval or C16 bargeboards ornamented with sequence of roundels each enclosing three mouchettes. The centre pendant is carved with an elongated face. Stone seats, C19 rafters and tile floor. Pointed chamfered grey stone N door with C19 wire and timber Gothic door in front of C19 inner door with Gothic intersecting cover strips. N wall to left of porch has three 2-light windows with cusped y-tracery, two to nave, one to chancel. First has medieval red stone jambs, second apparently all C19 in grey stone, chancel window in red stone, mostly C19. E wall has big C19 window in yellow sandstone with sexfoil roundel in head, hoodmould and stone voussoirs. Eaves are carried at angles on paired wooden posts down to C19 stone paired corbels. S wall has three similar windows: smaller chancel window in red stone possibly all medieval, and two larger C19 windows in grey stone. Windows have an attractive C19 lozenge pattern glazing. Small lean-to vestry at left with grey stone quoins, window on E and pointed door on W wall.  

Plastered walls and open scissor-rafter C19 roof. Two tie beams to nave. C19 pointed door at right of S wall into vestry, C19 oak lintels to windows. Some old stonework to left window reveal on N wall. One step to chancel one within choir, with step on three sides, those on sides in front of chancel stalls, one step to sanctuary, one to altar. Chancel marked by an arch-braced collar truss and tie-beam. Chancel has three archbraced collar trusses on timber corbels and three rows of windbraced panels. Medieval square piscina on S wall with chamfered underside and nailhead ornament on rim. Encaustic tiles. Fittings: Retooled C13 big round font with deep splayed underside, on round shaft. Later C19 pulpit, timber canted front with blind tracery. Large wooden screen of 3-1-3 bays with traceried heads to openings, cornice and cresting, 1926 to Rev. T. Griffiths. Hanging above the pulpit is a rectangular sounding-board crudely made up out of parts of a C15 screen: vine scrolled borders and panelled soffit. C19 pine pews with pierced Gothic front kneelers. Oak stalls with pierced frontal. Wrought iron scrolled standards to altar rails. Oak reredos to Rev. W. Hughes died 1886, three ogee-traceried blind panels with cornice and cresting. Oak traceried altar, earlier C20. Stained glass: Good 3-light E window to William Morgan of Bolgoed died 1849 and his wife died 1856, c. 1879 possibly by Hardman. W window c. 1879 to J.C. Pearce Church of Ffrwdgrech, Faith, Hope and Charity, signed by Charles Gibbs. S window 1913 to J. W. Morgan of Bolgoed died 1892 and his wife, died 1903, Holy Family with SS John and Elizabeth. Memorials: numerous grouped at W end, including floor slabs from the late C17 to C19 and wall memorials of C18 to C19 date. Included is the eroded slab to the Rev Thomas Williams, Vicar Gwyn.  

Included for its special interest as a parish church of medieval origins, retaining some original stonework and C16 N porch with carved bargeboards.