Nooks and Corners of PembrokeshireTimmins, H. Thornhill (Henry Thornhill)
History
Nooks and Corners of Pembrokeshire
Timmins, H. Thornhill (Henry Thornhill)
Pembrokeshire (Wales) -- Description and travel
Breasting the rough ascent, we now march across the upland meadows of
Parson's Piece; making in a 'bee-line' for Manorbere Church, whose slim
gray tower peers over an intervening bank. Perched high aloft upon a
bleak hillside, across whose treeless heights 'breathes the shrill
spirit of the western wind,' this venerable fabric rises in lonely
isolation, and confronts in peaceful rivalry the towers and battlements
of the grim old fortalice that crowns the opposite hill.
For quaint picturesqueness, and the singular grouping of its various
parts, this curious old church stands unrivalled, even in this land of
remarkable churches, combining as it does almost every feature
characteristic of such buildings throughout the locality. Originally in
all probability a cruciform structure, the church has apparently been
added to at various times in a capricious fashion; so that the exterior
now presents the quaintest imaginable variety of walls, windows and
gables; all jumbled together in seemingly haphazard fashion, and falling
into fantastic groups, as may be seen from the adjoining sketch.
It will be noticed that one of the gables is surmounted by the original
bell-cot, which probably existed prior to the erection of the tower; the
latter rises above a medley of roofs upon the northern side of the
chancel, and contains a bell inscribed with the legend: EXALTEMUS NOMEN
DOMINI, 1639.
Passing around to the south porch, we enter a low nave arched over with
a slightly-pointed, stone-vaulted ceiling. Strange, low,
rudely-fashioned arches, entirely disdaining the support of pillars,
rise sheer from the level of the floor upon either hand, giving access
to the narrow aisles behind. These arches are, unfortunately, so
enveloped in the general coating of whitewash, that it is impossible now
to discover whether they were originally built as arches, proper, or are
merely openings cut through the walls when the aisles were added to the
nave. A little window of early type opens above one of these arches; the
sole survivor of some old windows that existed previous to the building
of the aisles.
Short, tunnel-like transepts open out on either hand, the one towards
the north having a low ceiling, crossed by the curious arched ribs
seen in our sketch above. The gangway that formerly gave access to the
rood-loft now leads, in a queer, tortuous course, from the north aisle
across the adjacent transept to the tower, which is entered by a door
high aloft in the wall.
To the right a 'squint' passage opens skew-wise into the chancel, where,
beneath a plain arched recess, lies the recumbent stone effigy of a
Crusader clad in chain mail, having his legs crossed at the knees and
sword and shield, charged with the arms of De Barri, beside him. This
monument commemorates one of the ancient lords of Manorbere, who 'came
over with the Conqueror,' and shared with Fitz-Hamon and his knights in
the partition of these lands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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