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St Thomas's Church, Penybontfawr

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NPRN408478
Map ReferenceSJ02SE
Grid ReferenceSJ0854524584
Unitary (Local) AuthorityPowys
Old CountyMontgomeryshire
CommunityPen-y-bont-fawr
Type Of SiteCHURCH
Period19th Century
Description

St. Thomas? Church was built in 1855 to serve the needs of the parish of Pennant, as its parish church was that of St. Melangell's, more than four miles away (NPRN 160381). The parish was later divided, with the upper portion including St. Melangell's joining Llangynog, and the lower part remaining with St. Thomas's.
Built to a design by R.Kyrke Penson (County Surveyor of both Montgomeryshire and Carmarthenshire), the foundation stone of the church was laid 19 May 1854 and it was consecrated 28 October 1855. It is constructed of uncoursed axe-dressed stone with freestone quoins and dressings, with slate roofs and tile ridges, and was built in the Victorian Gothic style with windows in simple Decorated tracery.
The ground plan comprises nave and chancel, of slightly different heights and with a south tower, gabled south porch to nave, and a vestry and boiler room (rendered) under a catslide continuation of the chancel roof, with a stone and brick chimney. The tower has a slated broach spire and a diagonally set stair turret at its south west corner, and single belfry openings to each face, that on the south now occupied by a clock face. The larger of its two bells is from the church of St. Melangell.
The interior is strongly articulated into nave and chancel. The nave is plain with a boarded ceiling in five bays supported on arched trusses. The chancel and sanctuary also have a boarded ceiling. Floors of both are in red and black quarry tiles. Stained glass includes, in the east window, work by Hardman (1855).

Sources:
Extracts from Cadw Listing description.
RCAHMW Inventory Documents.
D.R.Thomas, History of the Diocese of St Asaph vol.2, p.266.

David Leighton, RCAHMW, 30 July 2015