The parish church of St Cynnog is a late medieval church located in a large churchyard used as a cemetery in the centre of Defynnog. A church is recorded in 1254 and 1291. It was restored in 1888-91 and further minor work done in 1905 though significant early features remain, mostly late fifteenth century.
The church is constructed of rubble stone with slate roofs. It consists of a long single chamber containing nave and chancel with parallel-roofed north-east chapel or chancel aisle, south porch, and a tall battlemented west tower with south-east stair turret. Its character throughout is Perpendicular, at least partly through remodelling rather than rebuilding. The west end of the nave was partitioned off as a schoolroom, later subdivided to create a passage and west vestry.
Inside, the roofs are barrel-ceiled subdivided into panels by closely set moulded ribs, the east end of the aisle roof aligned with that of the chancel. The arcade is of three bays on octagonal piers. Furnishings include a font of possible eleventh century date, ornate reredos and east end pannelling (1907), and an eighteenth-century pulpit on a stone base of c.1904. Stained glass includes works by Mayer & Co (c.1885), and Jones & Willis (1923).
In the porch is an incised stone with fifth-sixth century inscription (and possible Ogam marks down one edge), later inverted and a ninth-tenth century ring cross added. The lintel of the ringing-chamber of the tower is a re-used ninth-tenth century cross-carved stone.
The churchyard contains ancient Yew trees (see NPRN 405602).
Sources:
Cadw Listing description.
R.Scourfield and R.Haslam 2013, Buildings of Wales: Powys, p.477-8.

RCAHMW, 14 July 2017