Site Record
St Ina's Church, Llanina
NPRN105619
Map ReferenceSN45NW
Grid ReferenceSN4049459823
Unitary (Local) AuthorityCeredigion
Old CountyCardiganshire
CommunityLlanllwchaiarn
Type Of SiteCHURCH
Period19th Century
St Ina's Church is situated immediately north-north-east of Plas Llanina (NPRN 106511), formerly known as Llanina House. The church is located in very close proximity to the foreshore, on the point between Cai Bach (east) and Newquay (west). The shape of the churchyard mirrors the shape of the point, and the Afon Llethi runs close to its eastern boundary before joining the sea some 10m to the north-east. Historic (1888) Ordnance Survey mapping shows the high water mark up to 100m further seaward, meaning that St Ina's Church would have been further inshore at that time, although the coastline itself appears to be unaltered. There is a lych gate (NPRN 419365) within the south churchyard boundary. The church was not a parish church during the medieval period, but a chapelry belonging to Llanarth parish in the Deanery of Sub-Aeron. Both churches were appropriated to St David's Cathedral at that time. By 1833 the church had become a parish church, with its living annexed to the vicarage of Llanarth.
The form of the pre-nineteenth century church is unknown. The church was rebuilt around 1810, on the same site and in the same location as its predecessor, but retaining nothing from the earlier fabric. The font is thirteenth century in date, and probably derives from the earlier church. Its arcaded decoration makes it one of the earliest arcaded fonts in Wales. A beam in the current west end of the nave may derive from a medieval rood screen.
The present church is a Grade II listed building, constructed of local rubble stone. The church was partially rebuilt in 1850-1855, but the existing openings were retained. The church was reroofed and the bell turret was rebuilt. The church was restored in 1905, when the vestry was added and and the present ceilings, floors and seating inserted.
Cambria Archaeology, 2000, Ceredigion Churches, gazetteer, 48
Ordnance Survey, 1888, first edition 25in
Ordnance Survey, modern, 1:10,000
N Vousden, RCAHMW, 1 October 2013
{Additional:}
The rood-beam re-set at the W end of the church has been noted (but not described) by Fred H Crossley in Archaeologia Cambrensis 1946. It is a magnificent and unexpected survivor. The decorated face of the beam has a concave enrichment between two convex (three-quarter round) mouldings. The enrichment is a waved leaf trail with waterleaves in alternate upper and lower compartments. The rear of the beam is deeply chamfered and there are roughly trenched mortices, suggesting a second-phase loft. There are two mortices for posts in the soffit at the extremities of the beam. R. F. Suggett/RCAHMW/June 2017