Restoration: Church of St Madog, Haroldston West, Pembrokeshire

HAROLDSTON WEST AND LAMBSTON CHURCHES - Tenders are invited for the Restoration in a sound and solid manner, of the above two. churches, (together or separately), according to, plans prepared by Mr Barker, Architect Hereford. These may be seen any morning except Saturday, with Rev John Meares, Rector, at Spring Gardens, Haverford, west, between 10 and 12. The Committee do not bind themselves to accept the lowest or any tender. June, 1882, [Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser 9 June 1882 page 2]

HAROLDSTON WEST CHURCH RESTORATION. Less than a couple of years ago, this Church dedicated to St. Madoc, was in ruins, a perfect disgrace alike to the County and the diocese. Now it is beautifully restored through the zeal and activity of the Rector aided by friends of the Church in various quarters and on Friday, the 31st ult., the Lord Bishop of the Diocese reopened it for Divine Worship. Mr G. R. Jones, of Haverfordwest, was the Contractor, and Mr E. H. Lingen Barker, of London, Hereford and Tenby, the Architect. The following architectural account of the Church, supplied to us by the Architect, may not be without interest. Prior to the present restoration, the fabric consisted of a Nave 32ft. long by 13ft. wide, a Chancel 19 feet 6 in long by 13 feet 6in.wide, and a Western Porch 9 feet long by 8 feet wide, the walls being for the most part sound and upright and three sides of the Church, together with a large portion of the roof (which was nearly all uncovered) being festooned with a considerable growth of ivy. Everything inside was green with damp, and the birds and. rats had taken undisputed possession, the only fittings left being the ancient Font and parts of the 3 Decker Pulpit in the Nave, and a ruinous wooden balustrade and platform in the Chancel. A few broken-down sashes without glass filled the modern window openings, and an ugly ill proportioned Chancel Arch in modern Tudor style had supplanted the old one, the much thicker foundations of which were visible. This has now been taken down, and the old thick wall and arch restored and made to harmonize with the windows and other new work, the style selected being that which flourished towards the end of the 13th century, as there were no certain indications as to the original date of the Church. The roofless walls of the huge Western Porch have been removed, the original North doorway reopened and a porch erected outside it of better proportions, while a Vestry has also been added on the same side leading from the Chancel The square coped bell turret was a peculiarity, and its form has been retained in the rebuilding, rendered necessary by the raising of the Nave. walls and roof, the new timbering of which has been made to the original pitch, open inside up to the ridge with diagonal braces and boarded between the rafters, the Chancel one having arched ribs with boards on the back of the ribs so as to form an arched ceiling, which is acoustically advantageous. Encaustic tiles from Webb's Worcester Works have been laid in the Chancel (where some portions are glazed), and as bordering down the Nave passage. The whole of the walls have been plastered and coloured to a pleasing tint, and the comfortable open seats, on wooden platforms, and fittings generally are executed in varnished pine, the only exception being the pulpit which is of Bath Stone somewhat elaborately carved, and given by Miss Thomas, of St. David's, as a memorial of her relative, the late Rector of the Parish. The new doors are of pitch pine, the fittings of which as well as the Altar Standards came from Brawn's well-known Birmingham Art Metal Works. One of Porritt's hot air apparatus has been fixed, and abundant ventilation both for the interior and for the floor timbering has been provided. It is needless to add that the old Norman Font has been carefully cleaned from its whitewash, and reset in its original position near the entrance. [Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser 7 September 1883]

Reference    Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser 9 June 1882 page 2
Reference    Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser 7 September 1883