Cofnod Safle

St Aidan's church is situated towards the western end of High Street, on the south side of the A487 opposite its junction with the road to Whitchurch. It was designed, in plain lancet style, in 1875-6, and built in 1877-9, by J.L.Pearson, the only new work by him.
The church consists of nave and chancel in one, hipped roofed double bellcote, gabled north porch and south-east vestry. It was constructed in a colourful manner using green Middle Mill granite with yellow Doulting stone window heads and sills, and red brick for bellcote, eaves, window reveals and string course; the latter linking the sills, rising to mark the chancel, and carried around to the eaves of the porch. The slate roofs have terracotta ridges with an iron cross finial to the nave.
The undivided interior is plastered, with moulded brick sill course. The fine timber roof is open throughout, enhanced with wind-bracing in the chancel, which is otherwise marked only by a rood beam. Fittings include pitch pine pulpit and rails in vigorous Gothic forms (1889), twelfth-century scalloped font on a plain nineteenth-century cylindrical base (from the lost church of St Teilo at St Elvis), and a stone reredos since painted white.
Stained glass includes work by Clayton & Bell (1892). In the porch is a large, pre-Norman cross-inscribed stone from St Elvis Farm, found in 1925.
Sources:
Extracts from Cadw Listing description.
T.Lloyd, J.Orbach & R.Scourfield, Buildings of Wales: Pembrokeshire (2004), p.455.

RCAHMW, 10 June 2015