Gwynedd Archaeological
Trust Regional Historic Environment Record
St Cawrdaf's, Abererch Parish Church, Abererch, Llanfor
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 6902 Trust : Gwynedd Community : Llannor Unitary authority : Gwynedd NGR : SH3966036580 Site Type (preferred type first) : MEDIEVAL CHURCH Status : Listed Building I
Summary : Abererch parish church is dedicated to St Cawrdaf and located in the diocese of Bangor. The church, which is included in the 1254 Norwich taxation, appears to have developed from a single cell nave and chancel, to include an eastern extension, a chapel to the north of the chancel, and then an extension of this chapel into a north aisle.
The stone-walled polygonal churchyard, which has been encroached upon by village property boundaries, was extended to the east and south east after 1889, although the original boundary on this side is visible as a curvilinear raised area. The main entrance is to the west, with another to the north.
The earliest parts of the church probably date to the 13th century, although the majority dates from the 14th to 16th centuries. The walls of the nave and earlier chancel were rebuilt in the 14th or early 15th century and the west door is probably also of this date.
In the late 15th century, the church was extended to the east to provide a new chancel. The eastern window of the south wall and the roof of arch-braced trusses were also added. The east window is of early 16th century date although the tracery has been renewed.
A chapel was added to the north side of the new chancel in the early 16th century and the wall between was pierced with two arches on octagonal piers. The late 15th-century east and north windows of the chancel were reset in the walls of this chapel.
In the later 16th century an aisle was added along the majority of the length of the north side of the church and the western window of the north wall was inserted. An arcade of two openings was added to this part of the adjoining wall. In the late 16th or early 17th century a central door was inserted into the north wall.
In the 19th century, the belfry was constructed, the timber floor of the church was inserted and several windows were added. The 16th-century screen was also dismantled to make a group of five stalls with a reading desk, now in the chancel. The large buttress against the east wall may be of this date.
A late 13th-century cross-slab is set into the floor of the chancel, and there are two memorials dated 1692 and 1695. The font is medieval.
Description : An interesting medieval church, with some possible early work of the 13th century, but mainly of 14th to 16th century date. It developed from a simple single cell church to a longer church separated with a rood screen, to a double aisled church. The early roof trusses and 16th century stalls are noteworthy (RCAHMW 1964, 9-11).
This church is mentioned in the Norwich taxation of 1254 (Lunt W E 1926, 190). The churchyard is polygonal in form with a stone-walled boundary. The east and south-east boundary may have originally been curvilinear. The churchyard has been extended on the east and south east side after 1889 and a curved raised area 1 m high marks the position of the east and south-east boundary within the present churchyard. The boundary to the churchyard has been starightened on the remaining sides and appears to have been encroached upon by property boundaries of the village on the north, west and south sides. The main entrance to the churchyard is on the west side and there is a further entrance to the north. The cemetery, becuase of its long period of use, is of good archaeological potential. In addition, the fields to the south of the churchyard and in the area of the houses on the north and west may also prove to contain archaeological remains.
A church with structurally undivided chancel and nave and a north aisle. The earliest work is possibly 13th century, but the majority of the present structure dates from the late 14th to the 16th century. The building appears to have developed from a structurally undivided nave and chancel, first with an extension to the east, then by the addition of a north chapel to the north of the chancel, and then by the westward extension of that chapel into a north aisle.
A short stretch of walling on the north wall of the nave with the undiagnostic remains of the lower part of a blocked doorway may be earlier than the 14th century: the argument for this is that a door in this position would be of little use once the west 14th century door was built, also the wall is slightly thicker at this point, implying it is the remanat of an earlier structure built into the present building.
The walls of the nave and earlier chancel were rebuilt in the 14th or, at the latest, early 15th century. The west door, with rebated jambs and arched head, is probably of this date although the head has possibly been raised and rebuilt. The roof of the nave is original, of seven arched-braced trusses with cusped diagonal struts. Before the eastern extension was built trusses six and seven lay over the chancel, with truss seven concealed by a boarded ceiling.
The 14th century chancel and nave was extended to the east in the late 15th century, and the eastern window in the south wall, of two trefoiled lights, and the roof of arch-braced trusses are of this date. The original east and north windows were re-used in the later north chapel. The east window, of five lights under a four-centred head and hood-mould, is of early 16th century date, presumably inserted when the north chapel was built. The tracery of this window has been renewed.
In the early 16th century a chapel was added onto the north side of the new chancel, and the wall between was pierced with two four-centred arches of two hollow chamfered orders on octagonal piers. A straight joint is visible in the north wall of the aisle to the west of the central doorway. No joint could be seen between the chapel and the east wall of the chancel due to the presence of the later buttress. The late 15th century east and north windows of the chancel, the former of three lights under a four-centred head, and the latter of two trefoiled lights, were re-set in the walls of the north chapel.
In the late 16th century, a decision to add an aisle along the length of the north side of the church was made. A straight joint for this is visible in the masonry of the north wall to the west of the central door. The arcade of two openings, the roof of arch-braced trusses and the western window in the north wall, of three trefoiled lights, are of this date. In the late 16th or early 17th century a central door with four-centred arch was inserted in the north wall.
In the 19th century the belfry was built, two windows added to the south wall of the church and a window inserted into the west wall of the north aisle. The large buttress against the east wall is possibly 19th century in date (RCAHMW 1964, 9-11).
A former early 16th century screen with two sets of three seats across the north aisle was taken down in the 19th century and made into a group of five stalls with a reading desk, now in the chancel (Crossley and Ridgeway 1944, 84). There is a dug-out chest bound with iron at the corners with a collecting box attached to the one end of probable medieval date (RCAHMW 1964, 11). There is a late 13th century cross-slab set in the floor of the chancel, possibly the tombstone of Thomas Puleston (Gresham C A 1968, 73). There are two memorials dated 1692 and 1695. The fragments of stained glass, noted in the 19th century, are no longer present. The font is medieval.
Built of local rubble with larger quoin stones and dressings of gritstone. Roof of modern slate. The external walls are pointed with poor stone definition. The internal walls are plastered. Timber floor inserted in the 19th century, but structural remains of the east wall of the earlier chancel should be expected, as also the north walls of the present nave and chancel, and the west wall of the north chapel. There is a concreted drainage channel around the exterior. <10>
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust conducted an archaeological watching brief during the removal of 19th century pews along the south wall of the nave of Abererch Church. The pews were noted to be constructed on a boarded plinth overlying a floor of probable 18th century date, against which a quarry tiled floor was added, dating probably to restoration of the church in the 1880s.
The floor consisted of laid bricks, which abutted against five earlier grave slabs. Two of these could be dated, to 1722 and 1785 and traces of inscriptions could be noted on two others. The grave covers are thought to be likely top be the amongst the last intra mural burials within the church, and that the brick floor surface is likely to date from the latter part of the 18th or earlier part of the 19th century. A plan of 1879 shows the floor prior to the laying of the quarry tile floor and the insertion of the current pews.
It is probable that the church had a beaten floor surface before that date, into which the graves were cut, although this cannot be demonstrated conclusively. (Berks & Evans 2010)
The parish church stands in the large churchyard well furnished with slate tombstones, including some C18 ledger stones at the E, at the W end of Abererch village. (RSK Environment Ltd., 2010)
“The Church is divided lengthwise into two parts by a row of neat pointed Arches, very light, and something similar to those at Bryn Eurin. There is a date over one of the Pillars in stucco, 1615, and on the opposite side, a large R only. Within the Skreen separating the Chancel a curious set of old oak Stalls, with reading desk before, the upright at the ends finished into figures holding little escutcheons on their breasts, but now effaced, if ever charged with Arms. I fancied I saw on one 3 Chevrons. The East window was handsome, of wrought stone, and had a great deal of painted glass in it but the few fragments that remain throw no light on anything.” (Fenton, 1810).
In view of the many hazards which the voyage to Bardsey involved, special intercessory services were usually held at one of the mainland churches, usually one not far off the Pilgrims' Way. The old church of Abererch near the shore of Cardigan Bay seems to have been a special favourite in this respect. (Richards, 1952).
An incised stone coffin lid at Abererch Church. Upon this coffin lid is a large cross surrounded by foliations and a plain shield which bears the image of a sword. “It does not appear that any considerable obliteration could have been made; neither is there a trace of inscription upon the edge of the stone. It is known to have rested near the screen in the north aisle, and to have been removed for the greater security to the upper part of the south aisle, where it is now.” (Lee, 1888).
