Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo
Church of St Oudoceus
"an elaborate belfry, a sort of pulpit in the sky"
Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo Location in Monmouthshire
51°44′00″N 2°41′12″W / 51.7334°N 2.6867°W / 51.7334; -2.6867
Location	Llandogo, Monmouthshire
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
History
Status	parish church
Founded	1859
Dedicated	1861
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	18 July 1997
Architect(s)	John Pollard Seddon
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic revival
Administration
Parish	Llandogo with Whitebrook Chapel and Tintern Parva
Deanery	Monmouth
Archdeaconry	Monmouth
Diocese	Monmouth

The Church of St Oudoceus is a special church in Llandogo, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was built a long time ago, between 1859 and 1861. This church is named after St Oudoceus, an early bishop who lived around 700 AD. He is believed to have retired and passed away in Llandogo. A famous architect named John Pollard Seddon designed the church. It's known for its beautiful painted inside. Today, it's still an active church and is considered a very important historical building, called a Grade II* listed building.

A Look Back in Time

The spot where the church stands has been a religious place for a very long time. It was first mentioned as a religious site in the year 625. St Oudoceus is said to have retired here. Later, a church was built during the Middle Ages. However, nothing from that older church remains today.

The church you see now was designed by John Pollard Seddon. It was built between 1859 and 1861. More work, including decorating the inside, happened in 1869. This church is still used for services today.

What the Church Looks Like

The Church of St Oudoceus is built using two different types of stone. It has Old Red Sandstone and Bath Stone for decoration. This mix of stones creates a colorful look. The roof is made of Welsh slate.

The church has a main open area called a nave. It also has a special area near the altar called a chancel with a small room called a vestry. There are two entrance areas, called porches. On top, there's a small tower for bells, known as a bellcote. An expert on buildings, John Newman, called this bellcote "an extraordinarily elaborate belfry, a sort of pulpit in the sky." The overall style of the church is like early French Gothic.

Chancel decoration of "angels and rows of lillies"

Inside, the church feels calmer but is still very detailed. The walls are decorated with paintings. A German artist created these paintings. They were based on designs by John Coates Carter, who worked with Seddon.