Church Heritage Cymru 3106

St Michael's is an Anglican parish church, possibly dating from 13th Century. According to local tradition, it was constructed in 1268 and is first mentioned in documents of the thirteenth century. It was then known as Lanfihangel Kilvireth and was a chapelry in the Deanery of Ultra-Aeron. The church is referrred to as Llanfihangel Gelyndrod on its chalice dating to 1751. By 1833 Llanfihangel y Creuddyn was a parish, in the Diocese of St Davids. It was among the last in Ceredigion to keep its Christmas morning plygain service (a church service conducted very early on Christmas morning), which was held for the last time in 1960. The church also has its own carol, 'Trigolion Llanfihangel', written in 1805 by the then curate, David Rowlands.

St Michael's is a medieval church with 14th & 15th century building fabric with fine surviving 15th century roofs. It was repaired in 1835 for £200-£300, and it is said that the crossing tower was lowered by 6 feet at aroundthis time, although there is no clear evidence as a 15 th century bell frame remains. In 1870 it was said that the chancel and north transept walls and roofs had been rebuilt and the timbers of the nave and south transept repaired, all in the time of the Rev L Evans, but the work had been abandoned and was now deteriorating. The vestry books show that in 1841 a gallery in the south transept was ordered to be taken down and a door into the transept blocked, and in 1846 that the north transept be taken down and rebuilt as dangerous. In 1870 the work required was to cost £910 according to the architect R K Penson, and appears to have been finished by 1874 when the completion form was signed by Penson's partner A K Ritchie. There was a repair of the roofs in 1931 by W D Caroe. The north transept was called in 1846 the Canghell Dywyll (dark chancel). The church is first noted in 1254 as Llanfihangel Gelynrhud.

References: Cadw Listed Building and RCAHMW Coflein descriptions.

St Michael’s Church is constructed from local rubble stone with Forest of Dean sandstone dressings (from 1871), slate eaves roofs and barge-boarded gables with iron cross finials. It is cruciform in plan with a large central crossing tower, nave, chancel and transepts, south porch, north-east vestry and below-ground boiler house. The nave, chancel, transepts and crossing are thought to date from the 13th to 14th century.

The windows are generally plain square-headed with 2-light mullion windows in red sandstone with chamfered surrounds and leaded glazing, perhaps 20th Century. West end nave window has 2-lights with voussoirs, and large 19th Century chimney at south-west corner with buttressed front and moulded stone octagonal shaft. The porch is gabled with pointed chamfered entry in pink stone with tooled grey stone voussoirs, bar stop to chamfer. Pair of circa 1870 wooden gates, 19th Century barrel roof in 6x6 panels. Chamfered pink stone inner south door with bar stop, double doors of circa 1870. South transept has no plinth, battered sides and 2-light S window. Chancel has plinth, south cambered-headed 2-light with stone voussoirs, grey stone jambs and red stone cusped tracery, east end has 3-light window with cambered head, the stone voussoirs and jambs in grey stone, with hollow-moulded red stone mullions. North has single lancet with tooled grey stone heads and gabled vestry with Bath stone traceried pointed 2-light to north gable end, bargeboards, and chimney on east side. North transept has one square headed 2-light and north nave has two. Crossing tower is tall square and very plain with 2 vent loops each side and cambered-headed bell-openings with crude stone voussoirs. Minimal corbels to embattled parapet with moulded (possibly cast-stone) copings. Recessed 19th century octagonal short spire with fishscale slating and weathercock. The vestry has yellow oolite dressings and was added in 1905. The church was renovated in 1933 and the boiler house may date from this time.

References: Cadw Listed Building and RCAHMW Coflein descriptions.

Plastered interior with fine 15th century oak roofs. Nave roof is open-panelled shallow curved roof in 6 x 10 panels the transverse ribs moulded and probably 15th century, the axial pieces and bosses renewed. Moulded wallplate. Windows have ashlar quoins to reveals and ashlar sills. Arches to centre crossing tower are pointed and plastered, with raised imposts. Flat timber ceiling on 2 beams. Chamfered wall in north-east corner of crossing, for stair tower entered from narrow square-headed door in corner of north transept. Transepts have similar roofs of 6 x 3 panels and north and south transept windows have stepped heads to reveals. Two steps to chancel, very long pieces of pink conglomerate stone. Chancel roof is similar 6 x 5 panels with moulded transverse ribs and renewed axial ribs and bosses. moulded wallplate. Cambered-headed north door to vestry, 2 steps to sanctuary with altar rails, one step to altar. Chancel and sanctuary have tiled floors in pattern of red, buff and black with some encaustic tiles. Fittings, mostly of 1870-4 and by Penson: 19th century octagonal font with trefoils in roundels and stars of David, on quatrefoil red stone shaft with moulded cap and base. A small broken octagonal font on floor with broken round shaft, uncertain date. Pitch-pine octagonal pulpit with Gothic panels on octagonal timber shaft. 19th century pine pews, Gothic reading desk, and stalls. Gothic timber altar rails in 14 open panels with trefoil cusping with roundels in spandrels and lower half pierced with 2 trefoils. Oak Gothic altar table. Remarkable carved oak reredos of 1919 by Jules Bernaerts with inscription below 'To the Glory of God and to commemorate the victorious restoration of peace this reredos is presented by Mr and Mrs Edward Roberts March 1919' flanked by oak wreath with PAX to left and laurel wreath with VICTORIA to right. Reredos depicts the Last Supper in dramatic Baroque style in high relief. Tower is said to have a 15th century oak bell-frame surviving and bell of 1686 by Wm and Thos Covey of Limerick. Stained glass: west 2-light 2001 by Janet Hardy, rural subjects. Chancel north lancet has 19th century stamped patterned quarries with leaf design.

Reference: Cadw Listed Building description.