Runston Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Runston Chapel |
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"a symbol of holiness for over seven centuries"
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| Type | Chapel |
| Location | Mathern, Monmouthshire |
| Governing body | CADW |
| Official name: Runston Medieval Village Site & Runston Chapel | |
| Designated | 9 February 1948 |
| Reference no. | MM095 |
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Runston Chapel is a very old building in Mathern, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is a ruin, which means it's a building that has fallen apart over time. This chapel was built a long, long time ago, in the early 1100s!
It's the only part of the old medieval village of Runston that you can still see clearly. Even though the village houses are gone, you can still spot where they used to be by looking at bumps under the grass. Experts have found about 25 of these old house sites. By the 1500s, fewer people lived in the village, and by 1785, everyone had left. Today, the ruins of the chapel and the land around it are looked after by an organization called Cadw.
Discovering Runston Chapel's Past
The village of Runston and its chapel were built during the Medieval period, which was a time between the 5th and 15th centuries. Cadw, the group that cares for historic sites in Wales, believes the chapel was built around the early 1100s. The chapel was named after Keyne, who was a saint. She was one of the daughters of Brychan, a king from an old kingdom called Brycheiniog.
Why the Village Disappeared
Over time, the village of Runston started to become empty. By the late 1700s, when a historian named William Coxe visited, the chapel's roof had already fallen in. He saw a broken font (a stone basin used for baptisms) on the floor, surrounded by weeds and elder trees.
About 150 years later, a writer and artist from Monmouthshire named Fred Hando visited the chapel. He thought that the village might have become empty on purpose. He wrote that the people of Runston were "a disreputable gang," and their landlords let the houses fall apart to make them leave. Even so, Hando really liked the chapel ruins. He called it "a hilltop symbol of holiness for over seven centuries."
The Chapel's Design and Importance
The chapel's building style is called Romanesque. This was a popular style in Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries. Romanesque buildings often have thick walls, round arches, and strong, simple shapes.
John Newman, an expert in old buildings, noted that the chapel's size hasn't changed. This helps us see how neat and balanced the Romanesque style was. The chapel has two main parts: a chancel (the area near the altar) and a nave (where people sat). It also has a small bellcote (a small structure for a bell) at one end.
Cadw has officially listed Runston Chapel as a "scheduled monument." This means it's a very important historical site that is protected by law. They say it's important because it helps us learn about how Christianity was practiced in the Middle Ages.
