St. Teilo and St. Llawddog, West Cilrhedyn, Pembrokeshire

S. TEILO, KILRHEYDEN, PEMBROKESHIRE. — This small and debased church is to be rebuilt by Mr Withers. It is quite ruinous, and has long been disused. The new building will comprise nave and chancel, south-west porch, and a vestry north-east of the chancel; with a bell-gable for two bells over the chancel-arch. The arcade for a future north-aisle will be imbedded in the wall of the nave. The style is a very Early First-Pointed, and the character is unpretending and good, the internal arrangements are excellent; except that we think, as a rule, the children's seats are more wisely placed at the east end than at the west. Local stone will be used with Bath stone dressings.  [Ecclesiologist page 130-131]

CILRHEYDEN CHURCH, PEMBROKESHIRE - Some three years since, on the summit of one of those magnificent dingles which abound in South Wales, accessible only by a rough mountain road, might have been seen the old parish church of Cilrheyden, damp ruinous and forlorn. The general character of the fabric and the late Perpendicular windows and details, fixed its erection at the early part of the sixteenth century, but time and neglect had allowed it to fall into a most lamentable state of dilapidation, the few seats in the church were rotten, the roof had fallen in, many places admitting the birds and the rain, consequently it had been unused for some years.  …

The new church, which is built from the deigns of Mr Withers, is a simple parallelogram, consisting of nave, chancel, vestry, north side of the chancel and south porch and contains accommodation for 190 adults in low open seats, the whole of which are free. The walls are built of the native mountain limestone, whilst the whole of the dressed stonework is formed of box ground stone; the roofs and all fittings are of red deal, stained and varnished. The passages and chancel are paved with coloured Staffordshire tiles. The chancel arch is carved and moulded, and the reredos is formed in stone, marble and alabaster. The chancel has stalls and subsellae, with prayer-desk on the south side, and pulpit at the north-eastern corner of the nave, the lectern on the opposite side and the font under the west window. The two ancient bells, which are re-hung in the western bell-gable, and the silver chalice dated 1577, which has been restored by Keith, are the only portions of the ancient furniture capable of retention. The total cost has been under £1,200 of which amount £160 was contributed by the Church Building Society. The church is dedicated to St Teilo. (It was also reported that only a few years previously there were fifteen churches roofless and without services in the valley extending eastwards from Fishguard.)

For rebuilding Cilrheyden Church. Mr  Withers, architect. Evans and Stone, Narbeth-road, £1,179; D. Jenkins and Co. Cilgerran £943 7s 0d; C. J. Davies, Newcastle Emlyn £911 9s 10d. [Building News 5 April 1861 page 297 – tenders]

THE CHURCH IN WALES - The parish church of Ciloheyden,(sic)  Pembrokeshire, was re-opened by the Bishop of St. David's, on the 29th ult. …. The new church is from the designs of Mr Withers, and consists of a nave 58 feet by 22 feet, chancel 21 feet by 18 feet, vestry, and south porch. The walls are all built of local stone, the dressings being of Box ground stone; the body is open-timbered, forty feet to the ridge, and covered with slate, and red tile ridge and crest. The western gable is surmounted by a double bell-gable, in which are hang the two ancient bells, and terminated by a weathercock, the height of which is sixty-five feet from the ground. The seats are all low and open, and provided with kneeling boards. The chancel is fitted with stalls, and subsellæ and passages of chancel floor paved with Staffordshire tiles. From the nature of the site the altar is raised eight steps, commencing at the chancel arch, and is placed on g foot pace. The altar itself is of carved oak, covered with an embroidered cloth. The reredos is composed of tepera tiles, inlaid in stone, and flanked with Devonshire marble columns, with carved caps and cornice. The old chalice, round which is the inscription “Poculum Ecclesiæ Keloheden, J L G T, Churchwardens, 1661," has been repaired and restored by Mr. Keith. The new church has been built at a cost of £1,100, entirely from funds collected by the exertion of the rector, the Rev. J. B. Herbert, who, on his induction some five years since, found an old dilapidated structure, the roof of which had fallen in, and in which service had not been held for some time; now the scene is changed, and the parishioners have a church second to none in the diocese. [Church Times 23 May 1863 page 125]

Consecrated     29 April 1863 by the Bishop of St David’s

Reference    Ecclesiologist Page 130-131
Reference    Church Builder No 8 October 1863 page 149-152 with illustrations
Reference    Church Times 23 May 1863 page 125