80844

 

II  

Designated  

30/01/2003  

30/01/2003  

Church of St Mary  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llangathen  

 

Court Henry  

255814  

222621  

 

On a hill-top site 150m NE of Court Henry.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Built in 1832 (date on building) as an estate church by the Reverend George Wade Green, who had purchased nearby Court Henry in 1830. The architect was probably Thomas Richardson, gentleman architect and friend of Green. Originally comprising nave and chancel under a single roof and a tower, the building is shown in this form on the 1839 Tithe map and 1887 Ordnance Survey. It was subsequently modified and enlarged to suit contemporary ecclesiological practices. The enlargement of the church, in 2 phases in 1890 and 1892, was undertaken by David Jenkins, architect of Llandeilo. This involved building an enlarged chancel, transepts, a SW vestry and a NW porch, and installing new nave windows. In the second phase a new larger porch was added adjoining the earlier, and the tower was modified with new W doorway and belfry windows, and the addition of pinnacles. The church was transferred to the Church in Wales in 1930s.  

A geometrical-style cruciform church with N porch, SW vestry and W tower. The nave and tower are of rubble stone, the remainder of snecked rock-faced stone with silver-grey quoins, and lighter freestone dressings, and slate roof with crested ridge tiles. The entrance is in the N side. The NW porch is in 2 phases. At the W end the later phase comprises a 2-centred doorway with continuous chamfer and double boarded doors. Its W side wall has a projecting gabled bay with 3-light window, and a 2-light square-headed window set back to its R. The slightly earlier porch, set back on the E side, has a 2-light window in the former doorway. The nave has 2 2-light N windows, and the N transept has a 3-light window, and a single NE buttress. On its E side is an organ recess under an outshut roof. Its 2-light window has shouldered lights, and a stack with a pair of round shafts. The chancel has a 3-light E window and 2-light S window. The S transept and S wall of the nave have windows similar to the N side, and the transept has a pointed E doorway with ribbed door. The SW vestry is a lean-to against the nave and has a 3-light S window in a gable raised above the eaves. A 3-light W window is in the gable end projecting beyond the W end of the nave. The nave has single-light W windows flanking the tower. The tower is 3 stages. The lower stage has a round-headed W doorway with annulet banding and 3 orders of chamfer, modelled on the W doorway of Strata Florida Abbey. Above it is a tablet recording the building of the church in 1832 by George Wade Green. The middle stage has small cusped windows in the N and S walls. The 2-light belfry windows are square-headed with louvres. The parapet projects on a corbel table, and its stepped battlements have big corner pinnacles and crosses in the centre of each face.  

The nave has a 5-bay boarded wagon roof of an unusually wide span, the ribs of which are on corbelled wall posts. Plain segmental-pointed arches open to the transepts. Beyond the segmental-pointed chancel arch, the chancel has a boarded wagon roof. The chancel also has a trefoil-headed piscina. A wainscot in the nave and transepts has cusped arcading, probably surviving from the 1832 fitting-out. The font, brought from another church, has a square Norman bowl with pointed lobes around the base, and stands on a later octagonal stem and square base. Simple pews are c1890, as is probably the polygonal wooden pulpit. Some windows have stained glass. The E window, a memorial to George Wade Green (d 1868) shows the Resurrection, and is probably by Mayer & Co of London. The chancel S window, depicting ''''''''suffer little children'''''''', is in similar style and is signed Mayer & Co. The S transept has an early C20 window depicting the Good Shepherd flanked by SS Francis of Assisi and St David. The nave S window is a World War One memorial window, depicting St George and a legionnaire at the crucifixion. Beside the font in the SW corner is a brass plaque commemorating Eric Green, killed in India in 1900, by Jones & Willis.  

Listed for its historic interest as an estate church, occupying a prominent site and for group value with Court Henry and other associated listed items.