Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Priory Church of St Mary |
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Priory Church of St Mary
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| 51°49′17″N 3°00′55″W / 51.8214°N 3.0154°W | |
| Location | Abergavenny, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Hamelin de Ballon |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 11 July 1952 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Abergavenny |
| Deanery | Abergavenny |
| Archdeaconry | Monmouth |
| Diocese | Diocese of Monmouth |
| Province | Wales |
The Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny is a very old church in the town of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. It's known for being a large and important church. Some people even call it "the Westminster Abbey of Wales." This is because it has many old and fancy tomb monuments and medieval effigies (statues of people) inside.
The church is a special building, listed as Grade I. This means it's a building of great historical importance.
Contents
History of the Priory Church
The church building you see today was built around 1070 by the Normans. But before that, there might have been an even older building on this spot. Experts have found old Roman pottery there. We also know there was a church called "The church of the Holy Rood" in the town, but we don't know exactly where it was.
The current church started as part of a Benedictine Priory. A priory is like a monastery, where monks live and pray. It was set up by Hamelin de Balun, who was the first Norman Lord of Abergavenny. This happened in the 1090s. At first, it was connected to a bigger abbey in France.
Over the years, the Lords of Abergavenny helped the Priory. But sometimes there were problems. In 1320, a Lord named John Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings asked the Pope to investigate the monks. He said they weren't following their rules. The prior (the head monk) even ran away with the church's silver!
When King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries in England and Wales, this Priory was lucky. Because the Lords of Abergavenny were friends with the Tudor royal family, the Priory was saved. It then became the main church for the local area, known as a parish church.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is shaped like a cross and is very big. It has a long main hall (called a nave) and a special area for the altar (called a chancel). Together, they are about 52 meters long. The tall tower in the middle has ten bells.
The church's style is mostly Gothic, with fancy decorations and tall windows. Like many old churches, it was updated in the 1800s. Not much of the original Norman design is left. However, a Norman baptismal font (a large bowl for baptisms) was found in the churchyard. It had been removed long ago because someone didn't believe in baptizing babies.
Inside, you can see beautiful wooden choir stalls. These are special seats for the choir, carved in the 1400s. They even have small, hidden seats called misericords, which allowed monks to lean during long services. One stall still has the name of the prior from that time, Wynchestre.
Famous Statues and Tombs
The church is famous for its collection of effigies. These are statues of people, usually lying down, placed on their tombs. They are made from wood, alabaster, and marble. They show people from the 1200s to the 1600s.
One effigy shows John de Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings, who died in 1324. He looks like a young knight wearing armor.
The Lewis Chapel
This chapel is named after Dr David Lewis, an important lawyer. His tomb is here. In this chapel, there are two statues of women. One holds a heart in her hand, which might mean her heart was buried separately. She is thought to be Eva de Braose from the late 1200s. It's unusual for a woman's statue to have a shield with a family crest, but hers does.
Next to her is another female statue from the 1300s. People say she represents a member of the Hastings family. The story goes that she fell to her death while chasing her pet red squirrel along the walls of Abergavenny Castle. The statue used to have a tiny squirrel attached to a chain around her waist, but it's gone now. This chapel was named after St Joseph in 2017.
The Herbert Chapel
The Herbert Chapel has many tombs and statues of the Herbert family. These include Sir Richard Herbert, who was executed in 1469 after a battle. Also here is his nephew, Richard Herbert of Ewyas. This Richard grew up with Henry Tudor, who later became King Henry VII. Richard fought alongside Henry at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
You can also find old metal plaques called monumental brasses here, from the 1500s and 1600s. In 2018, this chapel was named after St Benedict, whose rules the Priory monks followed.
The Amazing Jesse Carving
One of the most special things in the church is "The Jesse." It's a very large, detailed wooden carving from the 1400s. It was once part of an even bigger carving called a Jesse Tree. This type of artwork shows the family tree of Jesus Christ, starting from his ancestor Jesse, as told in the Bible.
This carving is unique in Britain. The Tate Britain art gallery calls it one of the best medieval sculptures in the world. An art historian named Andrew Graham-Dixon said it's the only "unarguably great wooden figure" left from the Middle Ages.
In 2016, a new stained-glass window was put in the Lewis Chapel. It's also a Jesse window, and the old wooden Jesse carving is placed at its bottom. Important people, like the Archbishop of York and Charles, Prince of Wales, visited to see this special project.
The Church Organs
Around 1830, the church bought a used organ. It was later made bigger in 1883. This large pipe organ was moved around the church over the years.
Sadly, in 1998, the floor under the organ started to sink. The organ had to be taken apart and removed. The wooden parts of the organ were stored, but the building where they were kept leaked. This caused the wood to rot, and the parts were destroyed. Because it would cost too much to replace, the church now uses a modern digital organ.
Since 2015, a smaller pipe organ has also been used for smaller services. It originally came from another church.
Organists
Many talented musicians have played the organ at St Mary's Priory Church over the years. Here are some of them:
- Edward Howells, 1830–1855
- Francis Marshall Ward, 1855–1857
- Ernest Thomas Bennett Gilbert, 1857–1859
- Jonathan Macrone, 1859–1860 (and again in 1861)
- Mr. Crown, 1860–1861
- Mr. Doorly, 1861–????
- Charles Isaac Howells ???? - 1883
- Thomas Throne Crick Biggs, 1883–1894
- William Robert Carr, 1894–1933
- J. E. Hughes 1933–????
- Graham Elliott
- John Eden, 1994–2002
- Tim Pratt, 2001–current
The Church Bells
When the local people took over the church around 1536–39, they bought the four bells that were already there. These bells were very heavy! Over time, some of the bells were re-made.
To celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, more bells were added, making a total of eight. In 1947, all the bells were re-made again, and the church now has ten bells. The heaviest bell weighs about 1,270 kilograms!
The Church Today
The old Tithe Barn next to the Priory was opened in 2008 by Charles, Prince of Wales. It now holds a huge, 7.3-meter-long tapestry. This tapestry shows the history of Abergavenny and was made by volunteers to celebrate the year 2000. It's now the Priory's Heritage Centre, where visitors can learn more about the church's history.
In 2014, a new group of monks, called the Holywell Community, started living at the Priory. This was the first time monks had lived there in almost 500 years!
Gallery
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The tower
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West front
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From the North
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Tower detail
