Restoration: St Madog's Parish Church, Nolton, Pembrokeshire

TO BUILDERS. Full Particulars concerning the Restoration of NOLTON CHURCH, Pembrokeshire will be furnished on application to E. H. LINGEN BARKER, ESQ 7 St Owen’s Street, Hereford, The Lowest or any Tender not necessarily accepted [Pembroke Herald 11 February 1876 page 3]

RE-OPENING OF NOLTON CHURCH - This Church, having undergone complete restoration, was reopened yesterday. With the exception of some small portions of the east wall of the chancel and the south wall of the porch which it was found absolutely necessary to remove and rebuild, the old walls have been left standing. The interesting double bell turret at the west end unfortunately leaned outwards very considerably, but notwithstanding this, it was hoped it might have been preserved, but the works incidental to putting the new roof over the nave rendered its reconstruction unavoidable. It was accordingly rebuilt upon the former lines, and the old bell rehung. A new vestry (a convenience long needed) has been built on the north side of the nave, the old north door being utilised as an entrance to it. A substantial new south door of pitch pine in the old doorway has been provided, while trefoil headed single light windows in the nave, and a similar two-light window in the Chancel gable with quartrefoil in the head, take the place of some comparatively modern ones  formed of ordinary  unhung sashes, such as may be found in nearly all of the unrestored churches throughout the County but which are scarcely fit for the humblest of the cottages. All the windows are glazed with crown glass in diamond lead quarries, and marginal tinted borders, with hoppers supplied for ventilation where needed. New slated roofs of increased pitch and of open timber work plastered between the rafter have been provided over the chancel and nave, the ridge cresting being of white ornamental Staffordshire tile, with corresponding terra cotta cresses from Messrs Johnson's well-known works near Burgess Hill in Sussex. Now iron guttering has been fixed to the eaves throughout, and a channel with drain below has been carried round the external walls to prevent damp inside the sacred building, while a bed of concrete 6 inches in thickness has been laid over the whole internal area for a similar purpose. Th« ancient arched ribbed ceiling over the porch has been repaired and cleared from the whitewash, and all monuments and remains of antiquity have been carefully preserved and re-fixed in their original positions as far as they could be ascertained. The outsides of the walls generally have been. pointed, and the inside plastered. A new encaustic floor has been: laid in the chancel, (which has been raised three steps), in the porch, and throughout the nave passages. The chancel tiles, which are partly glazed in the sacrarium, came from Messrs Webb’s works at Worcester, and the remainder from Mr T. Peake of TunstalI, in Staffordshire. Substantial comfortable seats of the usual open description have taken the place of the flimsy square high straight-backed pews that our forefathers were content to worship in, while the old rickety western gallery that was too dangerous to use has been removed, the old Norman font has been cleaned and set in its proper position near the entrance, and a new pulpit and reading desk are placed against the north wall. Proper seats for the choir, with lectern, have been put in the chancel, and a new communion table has been provided, while the old painted deal balustrade that did duty for a communion railing has been superseded by a new one of pitch pine supported on ornamental iron standards made by Messrs Barrett, of Birmingham. All the internal fittings have been either stained and varnished, or merely varnished, while the roof timbers have beef coated with boiled oil. A new oak gate has been hung at the entrance to the churchyard, and the path leading to the porch has been lowered considerably, in order to do away with the old flight of steps down into the church. The present accommodation is for 111 persons. 85 of whom are seated in the nave Originally the number was for only 74 irrespective of the gallery which as stated before could not be used, The works have been carried out from the  plans and under the directions of the architect Mr E H Lingen Barker, of London, Hereford, and Tenby by Messrs Jones and Jenkins, of Haverfordwest, and Mr Harvey of Broadmoor, has rendered valuable assistance, of course, of an entirely gratuitous nature, during the progress of the works, which have been in hand since the summer of last year. A very handsome oak chair for use in the chancel was presented to the Church by the contractors. [Pembrokeshire Herald 14 September 1877 page 2]

Reference    Pembrokeshire Herald 11 February 1876 page 3]
Reference    Builder 27 May 1876 page 524  - tenders
Reference    Pembrokeshire Herald 14 September 1877 page 2
Reference    British Architect 21 September 1877 Page 144
Reference    Building News 21 September 1877 page 293-294
Reference    Builder 27 May 1876 page 524  - tenders
Reference    Building News 21 September 1877 page 293-294
Reference    ICBS 08111. Grant: Approved