Church of St Peter, Lampeter, Cardiganshire

S. DAVID (sic), LAMPETER, CARDIGANSHIRE - An exceedingly good design by Mr Withers, to replace a miserable bam-like structure, which was built as late as 1840. The situation, just opposite the college, is imposing: on the side of a hill, seen for miles around. The plan comprises a nave, 65 feet long by ^6 feet broad; opening by an arcade of four into a south aisle, 11 feet 6 in. broad and of equal length to the nave ; a chancel SI feet long by ^3 feet broad ; an organ chamber and vestry, to the south-west of the chancel ; and a tower (forming a porch) at the extreme west end of the southern side of the south aisle. Accommodation is provided in fixed seats for 363 persons, there being, room for 90 chairs in addition. The arrangements are good. The footpace is six steps — (it had better have been seven) — above the nave : and there are short sanctuary rails, north and south, not meeting in the middle. The stalls have subsellse, and also (unfortunately) a *' prayer-desk" on each side under the chancel-arch. The pulpit occupies the north-east angle of the nave. The style is Early First- Pointed, with plate tracery. The east window is of five trefoiled lights, with three foliated circles in the head. A window, of the same general type, but of only three lights, faces it at the west end. The aisle windows are trefoiled lancets. The clerestory (on the south side) is of small quatrefoiled circles. The tower is lofty, of three stages, the uppermost (a belfry) stage having a good two- light window on each face : and there is an octagonal stone broach spire, with spire-lights on the cardinal faces. The only fault in this tower is that the belfry-stage does not rise clear above the nave-roof ridge. In the interior we observe a good lofty chancel- arch; cradled open roof with tie-beams and king- posts; and a good arcade, rising from rather low cylindrical shafts. The reredos, constructional, is mean and inadequate, consisting merely of three blank panels, flanked on each side by a buttress. The materials are local stone with dressings of Bath stone. Total cost, £3,000. A peal of bells is hereafter to be added. It is a matter for much congratulation that the present church at Lampeter is to be superseded by so good a design as the one which we have been describing. [Ecclesiologist August 1867 page 247]

TO BUILDERS - Persons willing to submit Tenders for taking down and rebuilding the PARISH CHURCH OF LAMPETER-PONT-STEPHEN, Cardiganshire, in accordance with the AMENDED PLANS and  SPECIFICATIONS now adopted by the Committee, are informed that the said amended Plans and Specifications will lie for inspection at the Office of David Lloyd Esq, Solicitor, Lampeter, from Monday, 9th March, to Saturday, 14th March, inclusive. Tenders upon forms supplied to be delivered by post, prepaid, on or before Monday, 16th March, addressed to The Church Building Committee, Lampeter.  Further particulars may be obtained from the Architect, Mr R. J. Withers, 51, Doughty Street, e London, W C.  The lowest or any Tender will not necessarily be accepted. By Order of the Committee, Lampeter, 28th February, 1868. [Aberystwyth Observer 7 March 1868 page 1]

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF LAMPETER NEW CHURCH. For many years the parish Church of Lampeter-pont-Stephen, has been a reproach to the parishioners, and a disgrace to a town which is the seat of the principal Educational Establishment in the Principality. The church was a plain structure, of no architectural pretensions, and was withal inconvenient and was ill-adapted to accommodate the parishioners. In a word, it had neither convenience, beauty, nor antiquity to recommend it. The new building will be near the site of the old church, on rising ground, to the north of the town. In style it will be of the early part of the fourteenth century. The walling will be of local stone, with dressings of Greensill stone, from North Wales. It will consist of a nave and south aisle, with a vestry on the north side. There is also a tower shown in the plan, but the present builders—Messrs Lumley and Humphreys, Aberystwith - do not contract for the completion of the tower. There will be 228 sittings in the nave, 10 in the aisle, and 18 in the chancel, making a total of 328 sittings, with space for 90 additional sittings—chairs—on special occasions. The present contract is £2,300.  The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of this church was performed by Mrs Harford, of Falcondale, assisted by the vicar and churchwardens, on Tuesday last. Beneath the stone was placed a hermetically-sealed bottle, containing several current coins, a newspaper of the day, and a document containing the following:

ST PETER'S CHURCH, LAMPETER - The foundation stone of the new Parish Church of Lampeter-pont-Stephen, was laid on the fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-Eight, by Mary Charlotte Elizabeth Harford, wife of John Battersby Harford, Esquire, of Falcondale, one of the churchwardens of the parish, and principal donor towards the building fund. The Very Reverend Llewelyn Lewellin, D.C.L., Dean of Saint David's, Vicar. John Battersby Harford, and David Lloyd Churchwardens. Building Committee - James Evans, Edward Evans, William Banks Price, John Fowden, Joseph Lewes Johns, Benjamin Davies. Jewell Withers, architect. George Lumley and John Humphreys, builders. Jenkin Pugh, clerk of works. [The Welshman 17 July 1868 page 5]

The parish church of St Peter is all of 1867–70, a good Victorian work by R. J. Withers, built with Harford money. Of rough grey stone with white stone dressings in an early French gothic style; east window with striking plate tracery with three wheels. Commanding south-west tower with pyrimidal roof. The interior is light, having long windows to the north and good revived Gothic stained glass of the 1870s in the chancel. The massively circular font and pulpit are in the High Victorian manner, placing geometry over decoration. In the west window is the glory of the church — the stained glass of 1938–45 by Wilhelmina Geddes, an associate of Henry Clarke and Evie Hone and a member of the famous Dublin An Tur Gloine (The Tower of Glass) studio, who had moved to London in 1925. This is one of her finest works, made just after the great Te Deum window at Ypres Cathedral of 1938, and one of the best pieces of its date in Britain. It shows Christ between St Peter and St Andrew, three figures on a heroic scale, contrasted with tiny figures under their feet.

Reference    Ecclesiologist August 1867 page 247
Reference    The Welshman 17 July 1868 page 5 – foundation stone
Reference    Aberystwyth Observer 18 July 1868 page 4 (supplement) – foundation stone