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 special parish church located in the small village of Mitchel Troy, in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is a very old and important building, listed as Grade II* listed. This means it is a building of great historical interest. You can find it right in the middle of the village, about 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of Monmouth.
History of the Church
The village of Mitchel Troy gets its name from the Welsh words "Llanfihangel Troddi." This means "Church of St Michael by the Trothy." The River Trothy flows north of the church on its way towards 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 era. However, not much of that original building remains 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 building you see now was mostly designed by an architect named John Prichard. He worked on restoring the church between 1873 and 1876. The money for these repairs came from the 8th Duke of Beaufort. The Beaufort family helped support the church throughout the 1800s.
Church Architecture
Outside the Church
The church has a tall tower with a belfry at the top. This belfry has a castle-like design made from smooth, cut stone. In one corner of the tower, there is a large stone with an old message carved into it. It says "Orate Peo Godfride et Johanne," which means "Pray for Godfrey and John." People think this might be a foundation stone, placed when the church was first built.
In the middle of the church's south side, there is a porch that dates back to the medieval times. Above the porch are small windows with a three-leaf clover shape. You enter the churchyard through a stone gate called a lych gate. This gate has a roof and was traditionally used to shelter coffins before funerals.
The churchyard also has a cross, but only the column remains. It is decorated with round, flower-like shapes called "ball flowers." These same decorations can be seen inside the church on the pulpit and reredos (a screen behind the altar). 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 richly decorated inside for the church. In the south aisle (a side section of the church), there is a Norman font. This old font was found in the rectory garden and brought back into the church. On the other side, there is a fancy marble font designed by Prichard himself. It is decorated with carvings of fish and flowers.
Near the doorway, a large message on the wall reads: "To the Glory of God this church of St Michael and All Angels, built AD1208, was reconstructed Aug 4th AD 1876." This tells us about the church's long history and its big restoration.
During the repairs in the 1800s, an ancient stone altar was found in the south aisle. It 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 often dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Another interesting discovery during the reconstruction was a stone that had been used as a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels). However, 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 (carved supports sticking out from a wall). Above the main part of the church, called the nave, they show a portcullis (a heavy gate), which is the Beaufort family's special symbol. They also show St. George's cross. In the organ room, the corbels show birds and flowers. On the south wall, there is a corbel of an otter holding a fish.
The choir stalls (seats for the choir) originally had carved figures of angels playing musical instruments. Sadly, these were stolen in 1995. They have been replaced with new carvings that look like plants. The beautiful stained glass windows in the church are dedicated to different vicars, members of the Beaufort family, and other people. The East window shows the Ascension, which is when Jesus went up to heaven. The tower has three bells, and they have messages carved on them remembering church wardens from the 1600s and 1700s.
The Church of St Michael and All Angels is recognized as a Grade II* listed building because of its important history and beautiful architecture.
