Church of St Nicholas, Grosmont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Nicholas |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
"an exceptionally fine church of remarkable size"
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SO404243 |
| Location | Grosmont, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | parish church |
| Founded | c.13th century |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 9 January 1956 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Early English |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Grosmont |
| Deanery | Abergavenny |
| Archdeaconry | Monmouth |
| Diocese | Monmouth |
The Church of St Nicholas is a very old church in the village of Grosmont, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was built in the 13th century, which means it's over 700 years old! This church is unusually large for a village church, so some people call it a "miniature cathedral." It looks much like it did when it was first built.
By the 1800s, the church was falling apart. Its tower was almost collapsing. Luckily, it was saved and repaired by John Pollard Seddon. The money for the repairs came from John Etherington Welch Rolls. Today, it is still an active church and is a very important historic building, known as a Grade I listed building.
Contents
History of the Church
Grosmont was an important place in the Middle Ages. It had a stone castle built by Hubert de Burgh in the 1200s. Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster was also born here in the early 1300s. The large size of the Church of St Nicholas shows how important Grosmont was back then.
Building the Church
The church was built in the early 13th century. The roof of the main part of the church, called the nave, was built around 1232. This makes it the oldest church roof in Wales that we can date scientifically. Scientists used Tree-ring dating to study the wood. They found the trees were cut down between 1214 and 1244. This proves how incredibly old the roof is. It is the only church roof in Wales from before 1400 that is still standing.
Saving the Church
By the late 1800s, the church was in very bad condition. It was almost falling down. It was saved by a big repair project between 1869 and 1879. J. P. Seddon led this work. Most of the money for the repairs came from John Etherington Welch Rolls. He was a wealthy landowner from The Hendre and helped the local community.
Today, the Church of St Nicholas is still a busy church in Grosmont. Services are held there regularly.
Architecture and Features
The Church of St Nicholas is a beautiful example of an Early English building style. It has a special octagonal (eight-sided) tower and a tall, pointed spire. Some people think its design, with its cross shape (called "cruciform") and octagonal tower, looks like French churches. There's a story that a French architect designed it for Eleanor of Provence, but there's no proof of this.
.jpg)
The church is built from a type of stone called Old Red Sandstone. It has smooth stone blocks, called ashlar, for details. The roofs are made of slate. The church has a main hall (the nave), two side sections (transepts), the central tower, a main altar area (chancel), a smaller chapel, and a porch.
Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see a very open and simple medieval space. The main hall (nave) has not been changed much. You can clearly see the strong arches from the early 13th century. The font, which is used for baptisms, is quite unusual. It has an eight-sided bowl on a thick round base.
The wooden seats for the choir and the pulpit (where the priest speaks) were added in the 1800s. There's a special stained-glass window in the chancel that remembers John Etherington Welch Rolls, who helped fund the repairs. In one of the side sections (transept), there's an unfinished stone memorial of a knight. It's from the late 1200s or early 1300s. This is a rare and interesting piece of history.
