St Mary and St Michael – Llanarth

Introduction

The Jones family of Llanarth maintained a priest at Llanarth from 1781. The church is whitewashed roughcast with a hipped slate roof, a single long range running north-south, with a raised plinth and rusticated stucco angle piers.

Architecture and furnishings

The interior has a south-end gallery and a north-end apsed sanctuary screened by two Roman Doric columns in antis. The apse contains two Arts and Crafts style stained glass windows to Elydyr Herbert, killed in 1917, and Ivor Herbert, Lord Treowen, who died in 1933, depicting Saints Bernard and Francis. The south wall has five windows with 17th-century and perhaps 16th-century continental stained glass, probably Rhineland or Flemish in origin, installed in the later nineteenth century. The east side window has stained glass of Saint Michael, to Arthur Herbert, who died in 1921.

The west wall has an alabaster war memorial plaque. The church has a south-end porch, north-end apse, and east-side projecting vestry. The west side has six large arched windows, the left one with a slightly higher sill. The curved apse has two smaller arched windows.

The added vestry has an east bellcote, rusticated angle piers, north door and arched windows on each side. The south end has a hipped porch with an arched east-side window and south double door. The interior has a cornice all around with a deep cove to the ceiling and two plain plaster roundels to the ceiling centre. The east wall has a vestry door towards the left and a large statue niche right of the door.

The south-end bow-fronted gallery is on Roman Doric columns and piers, with a front of 2-2-2 panels with fluted pilasters between. The entrance lobby has a 6-panel door, stone flag floor and gallery stairs with stick balusters and ramped rail.