St Decuman's is a Grade I listed building in

Rhoscrowther Rhoscrowther ( cy, Rhoscrowdder) was a village, ecclesiastical parish and civil parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales on the south shore of the Milford Haven Waterway. The placename is Welsh and perhaps means "crwth-player's moor". It is part of the com ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

, Wales.

History

The parish church is on a very early Christian site and is dedicated to Saint Decuman. It was the "bishop-house" of the

cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divided into ''cantrefi'', which were ...

of Penfro and one of the seven principal churches in Dyfed under medieval Welsh law. The church is in the care of Friends of Friendless Churches.

Description

Samuel Lewis in 1833 considered the church ''"not distinguished by any remarkable architectural details"''. It was restored from 1852 and the roof was renewed in 1870. There was further restoration in 1910. It was Grade I listed in 1970.

Structure

It is constructed of rubble stone under a slate roof which carries a bellcote. The nave and chancel are possibly 13th century and the transept, chapel and tower 14th century.

Internal features

The font, in the north porch, is 12th or 13th century; the nave has a small Norman font. The church contains a number of tombs and memorials, including two recesses and wall-mounted coffin lids. The oldest dated memorial is a 1716 baroque monument to F Powell of Greenhill. The pulpit and lectern are 19th century, and windows range from the 19th and 20th centuries, as recently as 1960.

References

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