St Andrew's Church, Bayvil
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Church, Bayvil, is a redundant church
standing in an isolated position in the hamlet of Bayvil
, some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the northeast of Nevern
, Pembrokeshire
, Wales. It has been designated by Cadw
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
. It is listed Grade II* because it is "a scarce rural example of an unaltered Anglican
church of its date".
church. It was designed by a local architect, David Evans of Eglwyswrw
, the first Welsh-based architect to have been trained in Wales, rather than in England. Since it was declared redundant, the church has been maintained by the charity
, the Friends of Friendless Churches, who hold a 999 year lease
with effect from 7 October 1983. Since acquiring the church, the charity has reinstated the Gothic
-style sash window
s, and renewed the rendering
on the western face to deal with the effects of damp.
with a slate
roof and a bellcote in blue lias
stone. It is rectangular in plan and consists of a single chamber. The windows are twelve-pane sashes
with Gothic
tracery
in the top panes; there are two such windows on the south side, and one on each of the east and north sides. At the west end is a flat-arched doorway.
Internally it is "remarkable" as it is a "little altered" early 19th-century church interior. Its contents include plastered
walls, slate floors, box pew
s, a three-decker pulpit
, and simple communion rails and altar. At the east end is a mid 19th-century armorial
plaque in Bath stone
under a memorial. The tall pulpit is panelled
and painted, with a sounding board
almost touching the ceiling. The church also contains a simple 12th-century square font
.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
standing in an isolated position in the hamlet of Bayvil
Bayvil
Bayvil is a hamlet and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated in the north of the county, 5 km east of Newport. It is part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The parish includes most of the village of Felindre Farchog...
, some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the northeast of Nevern
Nevern
Nevern is a small village or hamlet, of just a few houses in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. It lies in the valley of the River Nevern close to the Preseli Hills of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park east of Newport.-Nevern Parish Church:...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales. It has been designated by Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
. It is listed Grade II* because it is "a scarce rural example of an unaltered Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church of its date".
History
St Andrew's is thought to be an early 19th-century rebuild of a medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
church. It was designed by a local architect, David Evans of Eglwyswrw
Eglwyswrw
Eglwyswrw is a village and parish in the Hundred of Cemais, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is between Newport and Cardigan just off the A487 road.-Description:Eglwyswrw was a civil parish, area 1498 Ha and had population as follows:...
, the first Welsh-based architect to have been trained in Wales, rather than in England. Since it was declared redundant, the church has been maintained by the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, the Friends of Friendless Churches, who hold a 999 year lease
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
with effect from 7 October 1983. Since acquiring the church, the charity has reinstated the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
-style sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s, and renewed the rendering
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
on the western face to deal with the effects of damp.
Architecture
The church is constructed in stone rubbleRubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof and a bellcote in blue lias
Blue Lias
The Blue Lias is a geologic formation in southern, eastern and western England and parts of South Wales, part of the Lias Group. The Blue Lias consists of a sequence of limestone and shale layers, laid down in latest Triassic and early Jurassic times, between 195 and 200 million years ago...
stone. It is rectangular in plan and consists of a single chamber. The windows are twelve-pane sashes
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
with Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
in the top panes; there are two such windows on the south side, and one on each of the east and north sides. At the west end is a flat-arched doorway.
Internally it is "remarkable" as it is a "little altered" early 19th-century church interior. Its contents include plastered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
walls, slate floors, box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s, a three-decker pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, and simple communion rails and altar. At the east end is a mid 19th-century armorial
Roll of arms
A roll of arms is a collection of coats of arms, usually consisting of rows of painted pictures of shields, each shield accompanied by the name of the person bearing the arms...
plaque in Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
under a memorial. The tall pulpit is panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
and painted, with a sounding board
Sounding board
A sound board, or soundboard, is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. The resonant properties of the sound board and the interior of the instrument greatly increase loudness over the string alone.The sound board operates by the...
almost touching the ceiling. The church also contains a simple 12th-century square font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
.