Church of St Ismael, Uzmaston, Pembrokeshire

For restoring the chancel and rebuilding the remainder of the parish church at Uzmaston. Frederick Wehuert of Oswestry and Milford prepared the drawings for the original scheme but died in 1870, before completion of the work. E H Lingen Barker was subsequently appointed to complete the work.

UZMASTON - On Thursday, the 13th inst., the Bishop of St. David’s reopened the Church of Uzmaston, Pembrokeshire, which has been closed for nearly two years, during which time it has been almost entirely rebuilt- The only portions of the original building left are the tower, a small portion of the east walls of north aisle and hagioscope extending between the tower and chancel, three fifteenth century windows, a couple of corbels, and a Norman font and stoop. The hagioscopes on either side of the old chancel walls have been reproduced in the new ones. The internal dimensions are as follows:—Nave, 45 feet 8 in. by 16 feet. 9in.; north aisle, 31 feet 8in. by 16 feet 5in.; chancel, 19 feet 1in. by 10 feet 2in.; vestry, 9 feet 6in. by 8 feet 6in.; organ or harmonium-chamber, 6 feet 6in. by 4 feet 10in.; and porch, 8 feet by 8 feet. The width across nave and aisle is 35 feet 2in., and the length from east to west 67 feet 3in. Local stone, with dressings of Bath stone, inside, and Forest of Dean stone, have been used for the walls, which are plastered internally. The roofs generally ai-e open-timbered, covered with Bangor slates, and plastered between the rafters, the height of the ridge of that to nave being 27ft. from floor. The glass generally is cathedral glass, in diamond lead quarries, but the west window in the nave has been filled in with rich stained glass, by Messrs. Wailes, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in memory of a former rector of the parish. The floors beneath the open seats and in the vestry are of wood. The nave and aisle passages are laid with Peake's new terro-metallic tiles, which have the advantage of being made in several colours and shapes and of being inexpensive. The chancel and sacrarium floors are laid with Godwin's encaustic tiles, those in the latter being glazed. The altar-rail is of teak wood, supported on ornamental wrought-iron standards, made by Messrs. Thomason and Co., of Birmingham, who also supplied the ironwork for doors and the brass internal fittings. Pitch pine and red deal have been used for the wood fittings, the pulpit and lectern standing on Bath stone bases. Some portions of the internal woodwork have been stained and the whole of it varnished. The contractors, Messrs. P. James, of Milford, and Mr. W. Morgan, of Haverfordwest, have carried out the works, under the superintendence of Mr. E. H. Lingen- Barker, of London, Hereford, and Haverfordwest, who was selected by the committee in the place of Mr. F. Wehuert, of Milford, who died before the works were commenced. [Building News 28 November 1873 page 607]

Reference    Builder 11 May 1872 page 374
Reference    ICBS 07156