St David's Church, Llangeview facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St David's Church, Llangeview |
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St David's Church, Llangeview, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | NZ 274 513 |
| Location | Llangeview, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint David |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 18 November 1980 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Closed | 1999 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, stone tile roofs |
St David's Church, Llangeview, is a very old church located in Monmouthshire, Wales. It sits in a round churchyard right next to where the A449 and A472 roads meet, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) east of the town of Usk. This special building has been given a Grade I listed building status by Cadw, which means it's considered very important. Today, it is looked after by the Friends of Friendless Churches, a group that helps save old churches. It's famous for its "exceptional interior," including a 15th-century rood-loft and rare old "box pews" and other fittings from before the Victorian era. The church stands in a churchyard that is almost perfectly circular, surrounded by a raised bank and traces of an old ditch.
A Look Back in Time
The first time we hear about a church being on this spot was in 1254. However, the church you see today was mostly built in the 15th century. It was probably first dedicated to a saint named Cyfyw. A writer and artist from Monmouthshire, Fred Hando, wrote about this dedication in his book Journeys in Gwent in 1951.
In 1999, the church was declared "redundant." This means it was no longer used for regular church services. Since November 19, 1999, a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches has been taking care of it with a very long lease. They have done a lot of work to repair the outside of the church.
Church Design and Features
St David's Church is built from stone rubble, which means rough, unshaped stones. Its roofs are made of stone tiles. The church has a simple layout, with a main area called the nave and a special area for the altar called the chancel. There's also a porch at the west end.
Outside the Church
On the east end of the roof, there's a cross finial, which is a decorative top. At the west end, there's a bellcote, a small structure holding bells. This bellcote has two triangle-shaped openings. The bells inside were once dated 1598 and 1688, but by 1999, only one was left.
On the south side of the church, you can see three windows. They are built in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in the late Middle Ages. Interestingly, there are no windows on the north side of the church. The window at the east end has three sections. At the east end of the nave, on each side, there's a buttress, which is a support built into the wall. You'll also find a Tudor arched door on the south wall of the chancel.
Inside the Church
The inside of St David's Church is quite special because it is "remarkable" and "unrestored." This means it still looks much like it did in the 18th century, with many of its original fittings. The floor inside slopes downwards from the west end. The walls are covered in stucco (a type of plaster) and painted white. The pointed arch that separates the nave from the chancel is also plastered.
A very important part of the church is the frame and front of the loft from its original 15th-century rood screen. This screen used to separate the nave from the chancel. An expert on old buildings, John Newman, said this is an "important medieval survival."
You'll also see a set of "box pews" inside. These are like individual wooden boxes where families used to sit. They are from before the Victorian era, which makes them quite rare. One of these is a large "squire's pew," which was for the most important person in the village. Above this pew, there's a monument to William Jones, who passed away in 1829.
The pulpit, where sermons were given, has five sides. The communion rail, which separates the altar area, is supported by decorative turned balusters. Along the east wall, there are stone benches. You can also find a small, slightly damaged piscina in the south wall, which was used for washing sacred vessels. The font, used for baptisms, is square and sits on a square base. On the floor of both the nave and the chancel, and on the north wall, there are memorial slabs remembering people from the past.
