St John the Baptist's church, Penymynydd, is located on the north side of the A5104, set back from the road in a rectangular churchyard used as a cemetery. It is a mid-nineteenth century church in Gothic Revival style designed by John Buckler and financed by Sir Stephen Gwynne of Hawarden. The church is constructed of coursed dressed stone with slate roofs and consists of nave, west tower-cum-porch, narrower and lower chancel, and octagonal south-east vestry with stone vault; it is lit through lancet windows, triple lancets in the east window. The tower has paired louvred lancet bell-openings, corner pinnacles and a slender spire with lucarnes; the entrance is in the west face. The nave is aisleless with lancet windows alternating with stepped buttresses. Inside, there is a stone arcaded gallery at the west end which has a range of five open arches surmounted by a parapet with blind arcading. In the nave there is a false hammerbeam roof which has discreet painted decoration; in the chancel more elaborate gilded and painted decoration and stencilled panels, as well as painted carved angels. The stone chancel arch has an elaborate painted screen with arcaded panels with paintings of saints surmounted by open traceried arcading. Fittings include, beneath the gallery, a stone font with a moulded stem and a circular bowl with vigorous foliated carving, fitted with an elaborate oak crocketted pyramidal lid with lifting mechanism; and, on the south side of the chancel, a circular stone pulpit with a moulded base which has blind arcading with paintings of angels and is entered from an arched opening in a stencilled surround in the east wall.

The whole of the interior, with the exception of window reveals, was decorated by the first priest-in-charge, Rev John Ellis Troughton, between 1843 and 1864 with figures, stencilling and inscriptions after designs by RP Pullan and paintings after Friedrick Overbeck. It is comparable to St John, Alltyferin (Carms) in its completeness. The decoration has suffered fitful restoration, with inferior over-painting. The colouring of the chancel roof was improved in a restoration by Robert B. Heaton in 1979-80 following fire damage.

Sources:
Cadw Listing description.
Notes by A.J. Parkinson, 1987. 2004.03.11/RCAHMW/SLE.
Richard Suggett, Painted Temples: Wallpaintings and Rood-screens in Welsh Churches, 1200–1800, (RCAHMW 2021)

RCAHMW 2021