Church Heritage Cymru

Church Heritage Cymru 1409

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St Garmon, Castle Caereinion

Name:

The name or dedication of the church.

St Garmon, Castle Caereinion
Record Type:

This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.

Parish Church
Church code:

A unique identification number given to every church.

1409
Diocese:

The name of the diocese in which the church is located.

St Asaph
Archdeaconry:

The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.

Montgomery
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.

This is a Grade II Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.

There is a Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites. 

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.

The church is in a Conservation Area

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Buildings At Risk Status

On Buildings At Risk Register?

The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales. 

This church is not on the Buildings at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).

Victorian/Pre-WWI

Exterior Image

St Garmon's Church, Castle Caereinion
Caption:

The name/dedication of the church and its location.

St Garmon's Church, Castle Caereinion
Description:

A brief description of the image

Exterior view of St Garmon's Church looking towards the tower with its broach spire at the west end of the building.
Year / Date:

The date the image was created.

2006
Copyright:

Details of any copyright are displayed here.

Hefin Richards
Originator:

The name of the person who uploaded the image.

Tina Andrew

Summary Description

This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More  detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.

The Grade II Victorian Church of St Garmon is situated in the centre of the village of Castle Caereinion in the old county of Montgomeryshire. It is set in the embanked area of Twmpath Garmon (a scheduled ancient monument), the castle built in 1156 by Madoc ap Maredudd, King of Powys. A church is known to have existed on this site since 1254, although the present Church of St Garmon is probably the third. It was built in 1866 in the Early English perpendicular gothic style and consists of a nave, chancel, vestry, porch and tower with broach-spire. It is constructed from squared green rubble stone with limestone dressings under a slate roof.

Visiting and Facilities

Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc. 

The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.

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Sources and Further Information

Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).

View information on worship and access at this church on the Church In Wales web site
RCAHMW (2004) Coflein http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/408481/details/ [Digital Archive/Document]
A description of St Garmon's Church from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales' Coflein database.
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/
CPAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://www.cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?prn=CPAT7649 [Digital Archive/Document]
A brief description of St Garmon's Church from the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Several photographs of the church, further sources of information and associated reports are available from this link.
CPAT (2016) Welsh Historic Churches Survey http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk\projects\longer\churches\montgom\16739.htm [Digital Archive/Document]
A full description of St Garmon's Church from the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust's survey of historic churches in Montgomeryshire.
http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk/projects/longer/churches/idxall.htm
Tina Andrew (2006) St Garmon's Church, Castle Caereinion [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
St Garmon's Church, Castle Caereinion
An exterior view of St Garmon's Church.
Cadw (1997) Historic Wales Report (18485) http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=18485 [Digital Archive/Document]
The listed building description for St Garmon's Church, Castle Caereinion.
RCAHMW (2002) Coflein http://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/306739/details/twmpath-garmon-castle-caereinion-castle [Digital Archive/Document]
A description of Twmpath Garmon, believed to be the motte of a castle built in 1156 by Madoc ap Maredudd, King of Powys from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales' Coflein database. The motte It is situated in the northern corner of St Garmon's churchyard and is a scheduled ancient monument.
T H Wyatt (1860) St Garmon's Church Ground Plan http://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~106230~116316?sort=identifier%2Cdate%2Ctitle%2Crights&qvq=q:garmon;sort:identifier%2Cdate%2Ctitle%2Crights;lc:LPLIBLPL~34~3 [Digital Archive/Cartographic material]
The original ground plan and gallery drawings for St Garmon's Church by W H Wyatt.
CPAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?watprn=CPAT7650 [Digital Archive/Document]
This record contains a description of the churchyard and the items within in.
CPAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?watprn=CPAT17659 [Digital Archive/Document]
This record contains a brief description of the church bells.
Cadw (1997) Historic Wales Report (18486) http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=18486 [Digital Archive/Document]
The listed building description for the sundial at the church.
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This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.

Grid Reference: SJ 163 054

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Church address

Address
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
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Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.

Powys - Powys

Location and Setting

This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.

The Victorian Church of St Garmon is set within its sub-rectangular churchyard at the centre of the village of Castle Caereinion, four miles to the west of Welshpool in the former County of Montgomeryshire (now Powys). The wider area is largely rural in nature, with the village laying close to the A458, the main route linking Dolgellau in the west to Welshpool in the east.

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

This is a description of the ground plan of the church.

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Dimensions

If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.

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Description of Archaeology and History

A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.

The dedication of the church to St Garmon, a local saint, could possibly suggest an early medieval origin, although there is no evidence to support this. The church sits centrally within its sub-rectangular churchyard, believed to be the former bailey of the castle built in 1156 (but destroyed in 1167) by Madoc ap Maredudd, King of Powys. A series of yew tree topped mounds in the southern part of the churchyard are thought to represent the bank of the bailey. A large mound, Twmpath Garmon (a scheduled ancient monument), is located on the northern perimeter of the churchyard and has been identified as the motte of the castle.

The presence of a church on the site was first recorded in 1254 (most probably built to serve the castle), although the present church replaced an earlier 15th century single-celled building which was beset by many problems during its lifetime. The chancel was refurbished in 1691, but many of the furnishings were stolen six years later. The rural dean's reports of 1729 and 1748 commended the church, though in 1736 its west end had fallen down and had to be rebuilt on a new foundation. By 1791 there were problems with the floor because of the burials beneath it, and the roof was damaged in 1799. It was partly rebuilt in 1812-13 at a cost of £600, when one of the gables, the south wall and the roof were renewed. In addition, the building was re-pewed, a new window inserted in the east wall and a new gallery erected.  A school was held in the church until 1812, when a school-house was built; the red brick building outside the north gates is the new school built in 1852.

The entire church was demolished and rebuilt in 1865/6. It was designed and built by the Diocesan Architect, T H Wyatt in the Early English style, at a cost of £1762. It had a nave, chancel and small vestry. The east window, placed in the church at its opening, is by J H Powell of the firm John Hardman and Company. Further work was carried out in 1874 by Thomas Batt when the tower, spire and porch were added, along with an additional restoration in 1898.

References: CPAT, Cadw & RCAHMW - full descriptions are available from the links at the bottom of the Core Details page.

Exterior Description

A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.

Built of squared green rubble stone with limestone dressings and a slate roof. Nave of 3 bays in Early English style, with 2-light plate tracery windows, offsetting buttresses, ashlar eaves course and coped gables. Narrow short chancel of similar materials, with 3-light plate tracery east window, and an added organ chamber on the north, with the heating chamber below. A vestry, also added, is set at right angles on the south. The later tower at the west end is of a darker stone, and incorporates the entrance porch in the tall lower stage, with a bell stage above a limestone string. Angle buttresses. The west door is of 2 chamfered orders and 2 trefoil-headed lancets over. Imposing plain broach spire with a terminal cross. A small stair tower is set in the north-east angle, with a shouldered external door and octagonal top. A clock face appears on 3 sides of the tower, inscribed DUW A DIGON.  

Reference: Cadw listed building description.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.

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Building Fabric and Features

Information about any important features and building fabric.

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Building Materials

If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.

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Interior Image

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Interior Description

This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.

The internal door to the church is of 2 chamfered orders. Nave of 5 roof bays, the exposed collar beam trusses have cusped braces carried down to wall posts and corbels. Cross braces appear above the collars. The walls are plastered. The chancel is raised by 2 steps and has a panelled wagon ceiling painted with stars. The sanctuary is raised a further step and paved with encaustic tiles. Alabaster reredos carried across the east wall, with 3 carved panels set against gilded mosaic work. At the west end, a raked galley carried on 4 posts with pierced timber spandrels. Glass: north window, of 1871, south-east lancet, the Good Shepherd, by Abbott of Lancaster, and a geometric foliage window of circa 1840s by David Evans of Shrewsbury. Fittings: Font; Octagonal with inset trefoils. Pulpit; Oak, open traceried octagon directly accessed from the vestry. Pine pews, but oak in the chancel. Moulded sanctuary rail on brass plated iron stanchions. Organ by Greeenward of Southsea. Bells: Three, one of 1628 and one of 1637, one a late medieval bell recast by Mears of London. Monuments: In the chancel, S wall (a) Oval ivy framed tablet on grey to Mary Jones of Coffronydd (sic), later wife to Thomas Brown of Mellington, d.1810. North wall: (b) white marble in veined black marble surround, to Noel Turner of Sylfaen, d.1915. In the porch, (c) white on grey marble, corner acroteria and pyramid, to Edward Loyd (sic) of Trefnant, d.1819, the primary inscription absent. Two black marble Commandment tablets either side of the altar, and 2 similar charity tablets are set in the porch. In the gallery, a fine mantled royal arms, with lion and unicorn supporters. Miscellaneous: An unfixed brass of 1700, the church muniment chest of 1758, inscribed WI and RR, churchwardens, and a 17th century chest.

Reference: Cadw listed building description.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings. 

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Portable Furnishings and Artworks

Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.

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Ecology

A description of the ecology of the churchyard.

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Ecological Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

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Burial and War Grave Information

Records whether the church has been consecrated.

The church/building is consecrated.

Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.

The churchyard has been used for burial.

Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.

It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.

The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Parish Church

Churchyard Structures

Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

High
Setting Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.

St Garmon's Church is a landmark building at the centre of the village, in an important setting within the historic castle precinct and Conservation Area.
Fabric Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

Moderate
Fabric Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.

An example of a surviving Early English Perpendicular Gothic Victorian church. Built from squared green rubble stone with limestone dressings under a slate roof, with imposing broach-spire, nave, chancel, vestry, porch and tower.
Interior Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

Moderate
Interior Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.

Nave with exposed collar beam trusses with cusped braces, raised chancel with painted panelled wagon ceiling, raised sanctuary with encaustic tiles and alabaster reredos. A raked galley at the west end. Font, pulpit, pews (pine in nave and oak in the chancel), organ, 3 bells (1628, 1637 and recast late medieval), fine mantled royal arms, church muniment chest of 1758 and other 17th century chest.
Community Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

Low
Community Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community. 

The church is open for worship and is situated at the centre of the village, close to the Red Lion pub.

Church Renewables

Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.

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Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

"Seek Advice" Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Parish Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Parish Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Parish Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Parish Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Tina AndrewModified asset data - Modified the Archaeology and History DescriptionTue 21 Apr 2020 11:19:09
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationMon 19 Feb 2018 09:21:21
Tina AndrewAdded SourceTue 18 Oct 2016 15:06:33
Tina AndrewModified asset source linkTue 18 Oct 2016 15:03:00
Tina AndrewModified asset source linkTue 18 Oct 2016 15:02:14
Tina AndrewAdded SourceTue 18 Oct 2016 15:01:41
Tina AndrewModified asset source linkTue 18 Oct 2016 14:56:06
Tina AndrewAdded SourceTue 18 Oct 2016 14:55:20
Tina AndrewModified asset data - Modified the Significance descriptionTue 18 Oct 2016 14:46:20
Tina AndrewModified asset data - Modified the Visiting and Facilities informationTue 18 Oct 2016 14:43:26
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