St Michael's Church, Llanvihangel Gobion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Llanvihangel Gobion, Monmouthshire
Church of St Michael and All Angels
"a medieval church, largely unrestored"
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Location	Llanvihangel Gobion, Monmouthshire
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	C15th century
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	9 January 1956
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular
Administration
Parish	Llanvihangel Gobion
Deanery	Raglan/Usk
Archdeaconry	Monmouth
Diocese	Monmouth

The Church of St Michael, Llanvihangel Gobion, Monmouthshire is a parish church with datable origins to the 15th century. There is no record of a Victorian restoration, although one must have occurred (the weathervane bears the date 1846), but there is documented evidence of a "light" reconstruction in 1925. Since the date, the church has barely been altered. It remains an active parish church and a Grade II* listed building.

History

The datable elements of the church are from the 15th century, although its origins may be earlier, it sits in a circular churchyard and an earlier sculpture has been incorporated into its South wall near the tower. The similarities of the roof-line and tower with those at St Cadoc's Church, Llangattock-juxta-Usk may suggest the involvement of the Gloucestershire engineer John Upton in a Victorian rebuilding, although there is no documented evidence of this. Upton also undertook work at the nearby Pant-y-Goitre Bridge. The architectural historian John Newman writes that the church was "lightly restored in 1925". It remains an active parish church and a Grade II* listed building.

Architecture and description

The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone rubble. The most notable interior features are the "timber aisle-posts, polyganol and moulded", Cadw recording the "good internal carpentry including unusual timber arcade". Of particular interest is a crudely carved stone depicting two angels holding what appears to be a shroud possibly below that of another figure (sadly headless)which could represent a figure of the resurrected Christ. This is possibly from a chapel or other religious establishment which originally stood here. Also of note is the impressively large base of a 14th century preaching cross opposite the South porch.