St Michael and All Angels Church, Llanfihangel Rogiet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael and All Angels Church, Llanfihangel Rogiet |
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St Michael and All Angels Church, Llanfihangel Rogiet,
from the south |
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| OS grid reference | ST 456 876 |
| Location | Llanfihangel Rogiet, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 19 August 1955 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone rubble, some lias, Tiled roofs |
St Michael and All Angels Church is a very old church in a small place called Llanfihangel Rogiet, near Rogiet village in Monmouthshire, Wales. It's known as a "redundant church," which means it's no longer used for regular church services. However, it's still a special building!
This church is protected as a Grade II* listed building by Cadw, a group that looks after Wales's historic sites. It's also cared for by the Friends of Friendless Churches, a charity that saves old churches from falling apart. The church sits in a quiet countryside spot, close to a railway line and major motorways. You can only reach it by going through a private farmyard.
Contents
History of the Church
Most of the church was built way back in the 13th century, which is over 700 years ago! The chancel, the part of the church where the altar is, was made longer in the 14th century.
In 1904, the church was repaired by an architect named Henry Prothero. A rich person called Lord Tredegar paid for all the work. During these repairs, they rebuilt the north aisle, which is a side section of the church. They found two old stone carvings of people, called effigies. One was of Anne Martel, and the other might have been her husband, John. They also found a "squint," which is a small opening that lets you see the altar from another part of the church.
Did you know that a very important invention is linked to this church? Henry Jones, who later invented self-raising flour, was married here in 1826! His invention made baking much easier for everyone.
Saving the Church
The church stopped being used for regular services in 1973. But don't worry, it wasn't forgotten! The Friends of Friendless Churches charity took over its care in 2008. They spent about £50,000 to fix it up.
The church reopened in July 2010 with a special harp concert. Now, the Caldicot and District Local History Society helps manage the building. They open it for visitors during the summer and plan to hold events and exhibitions there. The church has a single bell that was made in the late 15th century.
Church Architecture and Features
The church is mostly built from rough stone, with some smoother stone used for details. The roofs are covered with tiles. The church has a main area called the nave, a north aisle, and a south porch. It also has a chancel, which is longer and has a lower roof than the nave. At the west end, there's a tower with three levels.
The tower has strong supports called buttresses and a top part with a jagged edge, like a castle wall, called an embattled parapet. It also has pointy decorations called crocketted pinnacles. In the top part of the tower, there are openings with wooden slats, called louvres, where the bell sounds come out. Below these are tall, narrow windows called lancet windows.
Inside, the walls are painted white with a special paint called limewash. The floor is made of stone slabs. You can still see parts of steps in the north wall that once led up to a rood screen, which was a wooden screen that separated the nave from the chancel.
The square font, used for baptisms, is even older than the church itself, dating back to the 12th century! The stone effigies of John and Anne Martel are also inside. John's effigy shows him wearing chain mail (a type of armor) with a sword and shield. Anne's effigy, from 1270, shows her with her arms crossed in prayer and her feet resting on a small dog.
Nearby Historic Buildings
In the churchyard, there's an old stone cross. This cross is a "scheduled monument," which means it's a very important historical site protected by the government.
The church is part of a group of historic buildings, including a farmhouse called Old Court Farm and other farm buildings. These buildings are also protected as Grade II listed buildings by Cadw, showing their importance to the area's history.
