St Andrew's Church, Bayvil

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,^[1] and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.^[2] It is listed Grade II* because it is "a scarce rural example of an unaltered Anglican church of its date".^[1]

History

St Andrew's is thought to be an early 19th-century rebuild of a medieval church.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4] Since acquiring the church, the charity has reinstated the Gothic-style sash windows, and renewed the rendering on the western face to deal with the effects of damp.^[3]

Architecture

The church is constructed in stone rubble 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.^[1]

Internally it is "remarkable" as it is a "little altered" early 19th-century church interior. Its contents include plastered walls, slate floors, box pews, 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.^[1] 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.^[2]

References