St Mary's Church, Caldicot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
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|---|---|
| Church of St Mary | |
| St Mary Virgin church | |
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| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | active |
| Founder(s) | Walter of Gloucester |
| Dedication | Mary, Mother of Jesus |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1955 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Rectorial Benefice of Caldicot |
| Deanery | Netherwent |
| Diocese | Diocese of Monmouth |
St Mary's Church, also known as St Mary Virgin Church, is a special old church in Caldicot, Monmouthshire, Wales. It belongs to the Church in Wales. People believe parts of the church might be even older than the Normans, who came to Britain a long time ago.
The oldest parts of the building we can see today were built in the 1300s. This church is so important that it is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
A Look Back at St Mary's History
There are old records that show a church stood here even before the Norman conquest of Wales. It is mentioned in a very old book called the Domesday Book. A special paper from King John of England also talks about it.
However, none of the original church building from that time is still standing. This is because some religious people called Augustinian canons from Llanthony Secunda came to the area. They built the current church on top of an even older one. This older church was dedicated to St Bride and was built around the year 900 AD. This happened because Walter of Gloucester wanted it after Caldicot Castle was built.
Building the Church
The oldest part of the church you can see today is the bottom of its tower. This part was built in the 1300s. The main part of the church, called the nave, and the area near the altar, called the chancel, were also made bigger around this time. The tower itself was not fully finished until the 1500s.
In the 1850s, some changes were made to the church. The north aisle, which was built in the 1400s, was rebuilt by a person named Henry Woodyer. Many of the beautiful stained glass windows were also replaced during this time. Later, in 1905, the chancel area was updated again. Many of the changes made in the Victorian era were changed once more.
Modern Times for St Mary's
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St Mary's Church was given its special Grade I listed status in 1955. This means it is considered a very important historical building. It was listed because it is a "fine medieval church with interesting Victorian restorations and additions." This means it's a great example of a church from the Middle Ages, with cool updates from the Victorian era.
The church was even used as a filming location for a movie! It appeared in the 2002 film Plots with a View.
