St Michael and All Angels, Mitchel Troy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Michael and All Angels, Mitchel Troy |
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Church of St Michael and All Angels
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| 51°47′24″N 2°44′15″W / 51.789903°N 2.737625°W | |
| Location | Mitchel Troy, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Grade II* listed |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | John Prichard |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Monmouth |
The Church of St Michael and All Angels is a historic parish church located in the small village of Mitchel Troy, in Monmouthshire, Wales. This beautiful building is considered very important and is a Grade II* listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural value. The church stands right in the heart of the village, about 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of the town of Monmouth.
History of the Church
The name of the village, Mitchel Troy, comes from the Welsh words "Llanfihangel Troddi." This means "Church of St Michael by the Trothy." The River Trothy flows past the north side of the church on its way to Monmouth.
A special sign inside the church says it was first built in 1208. This sign was put there during a big repair project in the Victorian times. However, not much of that original 1208 building is left today.
In the 1700s, a tall, pointed part of the church tower, called a spire, fell down. This caused a lot of damage to the main part of the church. The church you see today was mostly rebuilt by an architect named John Prichard. He worked on the church between 1873 and 1876. The money for these repairs came from the 8th Duke of Beaufort. The Beaufort family were important supporters of the church throughout the 1800s.
Church Architecture
The Church of St Michael and All Angels has many interesting features, both on the outside and inside.
Outside the Church
The church has a strong tower with a belfry at the top. This belfry is made of shaped stone and looks like a castle wall. In one corner of the tower, there's a large stone with an old message carved into it: "Orate Peo Godfride et Johanne." No one knows much about where this stone came from, but people think it might be a foundation stone. This is a stone placed when a building is first started.
In the middle of the south side of the church, there is a porch. This porch is from the medieval period, which means it's very old. Above the porch are small windows called dormers, with three-leaf shapes at the top. To enter the churchyard, you walk through a stone gate called a lych gate. There is also a churchyard cross, but only the tall column remains. It is decorated with round shapes called "ball flowers." These same decorations can be seen inside the church on the pulpit and reredos. This cross dates back to the 1400s.
Inside the Church
Because the Beaufort family gave a lot of money, John Prichard was able to create a very fancy inside for the church. In the south aisle (a side part of the church), you can find a Norman font. A font is a basin used for baptisms. This old font was found in the rectory garden and brought back into the church. On the other side, there's another beautiful marble font designed by Prichard himself. It's decorated with carvings of fish and flowers.
Near the doorway, a large message on the wall tells us something important. It says: "To the Glory of God this church of St Michael and All Angels, built AD1208, was reconstructed Aug 4th AD 1876." This reminds everyone of the church's long history and its big rebuilding project.
During the 1800s reconstruction, an old stone altar was found in the South aisle. This altar had five special crosses carved into it, which represent the five wounds of Christ. This stone slab was placed under the East window of the south aisle. It now serves as an altar for the Lady chapel, a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Also found during the work was a stone that had been used as a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels). But it turned out to be the lid of a child's coffin! At the end of the north aisle, there is a copy of the famous painting The Last Supper, made from marble.
The church has many decorated stone corbels. These are pieces of stone sticking out from a wall to support something. Above the main part of the church (the nave), they show a portcullis, which is the special symbol of the Beaufort family. They also show St. George's cross. In the organ room, the corbels show birds and flowers. On the south wall, there's a corbel of an otter holding a fish. The choir stalls, where the choir sits, used to have carved figures of angels playing musical instruments. Sadly, these were stolen in 1995. Now, there are new decorations shaped like plants.
The church also has many beautiful stained glass windows. These windows are dedicated to different people, including past vicars, members of the Beaufort family, and others. The East window, which is at the very front of the church, shows the Ascension, when Jesus went up to heaven. The tower has three bells. These bells have messages carved on them that remember church wardens from the 1600s and 1700s.
The Church of St Michael and All Angels is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical building in Wales.
