Church of St Mechell

The SW porch has a stone flag floor consisting mainly of weathered gravestones, and late C17 and early C18 gravestones are set against each side wall. The inner doorway is a narrow round-headed doorway with rough schist voussoirs and imposts, to the L is a C14 sepulchral slab with a cross running down the centre; the head has hollows between arms with expanded ends, and large leafed foliage is carried down either side of the shaft. The boarded door has ornate hinges; the doorway leads to the W end of the nave, a square-headed doorway in the W wall giving access to the W tower. Nave and chancel have a continuous C15 arch-braced roof with high set collars. The chancel is raised by 2 steps with a moulded rail on shaped stanchions with scrolled brackets. The sanctuary is raised by a further 2 steps and has a reredos of recessed oak panels. The transepts have similarly detailed roofs, through shallow pointed arches with broach-stop chamfered angles. The fittings are C19, the pulpit with recessed facing panels with chamfered angles under a moulded rail, supported on 4 shaped legs. The C12 pulpit is located to the W end of the nave; a square gritstone bowl each side with a sunk panel containing 2 round-headed arches, with square imposts on all but the N side. It has been cut away at the base and stands on a stone plinth made up of window mullions. On the S wall of the nave is a marble memorial tablet surmounted by an obelisk and urn; to Thomas Meyrick d1763, Richard, his son, d1796, Reverend William Meyrick d1819 and Elizabeth, his daughter, d1821. The S transept window is dedicated to Sarah Elizabeth Hunter, daughter of William Bulkeley Hughes of Plas Coch and Brynddu, d1797. The S chancel wall has 2 late C19 windows; the first depicts Christ the shepherd, to William Hughes, Rector, d1888, the other Christ healing the sick, to John A W Hughes and Margaret his wife, d1883. The N chancel wall has a window depicting Rob the Bruce and St Margaret, to Col Sir Charles Hughes Hunter, Baronet, d1907. The E window was removed for repair at the time of survey.

Substantially C12 church, but with early Decorated character given by the plate tracery of the C19 restoration. Elongated plan with extended chancel and W tower; N and S transepts and SW porch. Built of schist rubble with some grit dressings. Slate roof with stone copings. The nave is of 2 bays with 2-light plate traceried windows. Round-headed S door and blocked round-headed window to NW, together with round-headed arch to W of S transept constitute important evidence for the C12 church. The chancel is also of 2 bays with similarly detailed windows in the W end, narrow leaded C12 lancets in the sanctuary; there is also a reset narrow C12 doorway with rounded head of rough schist voussoirs and roughly chamfered imposts. The E window has 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with reticulated tracery in a pointed-arch frame with moulded hoodmould over. The N and S transepts have 3-light shallow arched windows of curvilinear tracery; the S transept has a weathered Medieval head over the S window and a narrow rectangular leaded light in the E wall. Three-stage W tower; ground floor with round-headed leaded light in a rectangular frame in the W wall, upper storeys with narrow ventilation slits. The top has an embattled parapet wall with protruding dripcourse round all 4 elevations, and is surmounted by a corbelled octagonal spire. The S porch is gabled, with a wide pointed arched entrance; boarded door with ornate hinges and stirrup shaped handle.