The name or dedication of the church.
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.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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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.
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 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.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
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.
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).
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.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
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.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
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.
Llandovery lies on the A40 about 300km west of London and about 40 km northwest of Carmarthen; it is almost 40km south west of Builth Wells and nearly 20km north east of Llandeilo. The church is set in a large churchyard on the southwestern side of the town, on Broad St the A4069 road to Llangadog.
Reference
AA Route Planner Cadw Listings Notice OS Map 160
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
St Dingat’s church was part of the Deanery of Stradtowey in the post conquest period possibly in a large circular (now truncated) circular churchyard. The nave, contemporary with the chancel arch is C14 while the chancel was rebuilt in the early C15. Later in that century the church was extensively enlarged thanks to a gift on 1484 of ten marks (one mark was worth 13 shillings and 8pence) by Richard III – who wished to strengthen his interest in south Wales. In 1710 the four bells were replaced by five new bells on 1720. Fuller & Gingell of Bristol engaged in restoration work between 1850 and 1852. In 1854 George Borrow thought that the church had been ‘sadly modernised. A plaque in thew south aisle records that church was restored in 1867 when the chancel and south aisle roofs were replaced and possibly when the porch was replaced and the north wall buttressed. The organ was replaced in 1874. There is a rainwater head dated 1882 which records another restoration which cost £582. In 1899 the tower top was rebuilt at a cost of £600. In 1906-7 restoration again took place supervised by W D Caröe to commemorate the 300 years since the Revd Rees Prichard was appointed. The porch and buttresses were partially rebuilt, the approach to the rood loft, the priest’s door and south door were unblocked and rebuilt, the west gallery and stairs were removed and the aisle west door was blocked. The chancel, south chapel and aisle were re-roofed and the church was re-floored and re-plastered. The lychgate on the north western boundary was donated by C Bishop of Cwm Rhuddal to commemorate 50 years of marriage.
Buildings of Wales –Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion 1994 Cadw Listings Notice Coflein 104065
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
This is a double nave church, now of large west tower, a 3-bay nave, north porch, chancel and parallel roofed 3-bay south aisle (known as the ‘Parish Chancel’) with a south east chapel. It was built of mixed, but largely limestone, rubble stone with red sandstone dressings to the original windows with some C19 bath stone tracery. There are slate roofs with coped gables. The tower has a splayed base with chamfered top mouldings and a pointed west door in red conglomerate stone. At the top are rough stone corbels and a rebuilt parapet in a rock-faced grey stone. There is a north stair tower with three small loops in red stone.
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
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.
This is a lofty interior with plastered walls and a pointed plastered west tower arch to the stone ceiling of the tower. The nave has stone flags to a central aisle. The 3-bay pointed arcade has octagonal piers with caps and bases moulded and broad chamfered arches. The medieval chancel arch has stone piers and minimal imposts to chamfered piers with curved stepped stops with a raised bracket on the north pier. The nave roof has 9 collar trusses with wishbone struts and 4 purlins, some of the timbers being c1700 although much embellished by Caröe with arched braces and traceried spandrels to the cambered collars with added brattishing to the collars and corresponding purlins. The chancel has two dark stone steps and a flagstone and memorial slabs floor. The roof is a broad curved boarded C19 roof with brattished cornice and 2 tie-beam trusses with wishbone struts and added mouldings and brattishing. The south aisle has a similar roof to the nave with a medieval stone segmental-pointed arch dividing the aisle from the chapel, the south door is in pink surround stone, the work of Caröe. The bowl font is made from a conglomerate stone of an uncertain date but possibly medieval sitting on a limestone shaft completely covered in early C20 green-grey stone on a massive tapering square casing of 4 carved piers, each side has blind tracery and a carved panel. In 1908 and ornate Caen stone and marble pulpit was given to the church, it has brass rails to stone steps, on a marble shafted base and with cusped ogee panels with the carved figures of the Evangelists and the Good Shepherd. The brass lectern dates to 1906. There are brass standards to the sanctuary rails. The oak stalls have a pierced front band. There is a C19 tower screen with Perpendicular tracery. There is a disused altar table dating from 1701. The stained glass: The east window is by Mayer & Co of Munich, c1894; ‘St Dorothea and an Angel’, Leonard Walker, 1924, in a fine Arts & Crafts style; The nave window is by Jones & Willis Ltd; ‘The Crucifixion with Saints Mary and John’, probably also by Mayer . The bells: there are now 6 bells cast in 1933 by John Taylor & Co.
Buildings of Wales –Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion 1994 Cadw Listings Notice Coflein 104065 Stained Glass in Wales A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
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.
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.
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.
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.