St Michael's Church, Llanvihangel Crucorney

Last updated

St Michael's Church,
Llanvihangel Crucorney
Llanvihangel Crucorney Church - geograph.org.uk - 216737.jpg
Church of St Michael
St Michael's Church, Llanvihangel Crucorney
Coordinates: 51°52′47″N2°58′56″W / 51.8797°N 2.9821°W / 51.8797; -2.9821
Location Monmouthshire
Country Wales
Denomination Church in Wales
Website Official website
History
Status Parish church
Architecture
Heritage designation Grade II listed
Designated1956
Administration
Diocese Monmouth

St Michael's Church stands in the centre of the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney, Monmouthshire, Wales. [1] It was designated as a Grade II listed building in 1956 for its historic importance and surviving medieval features. [2]

Contents

History

The Book of Llandaff suggests the church was founded before the close of the tenth century. [3] The church is said to have been built as the successor to the small chapel of St Michael, which formerly stood at the peak of the Skirrid, a short distance to the south of Llanvihangel Crucorney. [4]

In 1542, King Henry VIII granted the tithes of Llanvihangel Crucorney and several neighbouring parishes to the establishment and maintenance of a grammar school for boys at Abergavenny. [5]

Architecture

The church tower. St Michael, Llanvihangel Crucorney (geograph 4122270).jpg
The church tower.

The nave of the church is of Norman origin, though it has since seen many alterations. The base of the tower and the chancel were probably added in the 13th or 14th centuries, and it is likely the tower was extended to its current height and the south porch was built in the 16th century. [2]

In 1835 the nave had fallen into disrepair. Instead of being repaired the nave walls were largely pulled down and rebuilt. With them the original oak roof was destroyed and replaced by an extemporaneous roof. The present windows were inserted later that century, between 1887 and 1897. [6]

In 1974 history repeated itself as the nave roof was again failing so it was pulled down. [2] This time the church could only afford to partially rebuild the roof so much of the nave remained exposed to the elements until the 2000s when a new roof was built with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandaff Cathedral</span> Church in Cardiff, Wales

Llandaff Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral and parish church in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and three Welsh saints: Dubricius, Teilo and Oudoceus. It is one of two cathedrals in Cardiff, the other being the Roman Catholic Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral in the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ysgyryd Fawr</span>

Ysgyryd Fawr is an easterly outlier of the Black Mountains in Wales, and forms the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The hill is often referred to locally as just The Skirrid. The smaller hill of Ysgyryd Fach or "Little Skirrid" (270m) lies about 4.5 km / 2.5 mi to the south.

King Henry VIII School Abergavenny is an English-language comprehensive school situated in the town of Abergavenny, in the county of Monmouthshire, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanthony Priory</span> Grade I listed priory in the United Kingdom

Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep-sided once-glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay-on-Wye at Llanthony. The priory ruins lie to the west of the prominent Hatterrall Ridge, a limb of the Black mountains. The main ruins are under the care of Cadw and entrance is free.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book of Llandaff</span>

The Book of Llandaff, is the chartulary of the cathedral of Llandaff, a 12th-century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales. It is written primarily in Latin but also contains a significant amount of Old and Middle Welsh names and marginalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vale of Ewyas</span>

The Vale of Ewyas is the steep-sided and secluded valley of the River Honddu, in the Black Mountains of Wales and within the Brecon Beacons National Park. As well as its outstanding beauty, it is known for the ruins of Llanthony Priory, and for several noteworthy churches such as those at Capel-y-ffin and Cwmyoy. It is sometimes referred to as the "Llanthony Valley" as Llanthony is the village situated at the valley centre.

Lledrod is a village and community in Ceredigion, Wales. The village is situated on the A485 road from Llanilar to Tregaron, where it crosses the valley of the River Wyre. The parish is divided into Lledrod Isaf and Lledrod Uchaf ; Lledrod village is located in the former, Swyddffynnon village is situated in the latter. The name 'Lledrod' is a contraction of Llanfihangel-Lledrod, which derives from Llanfihangel Llether-troed, meaning 'the church of St Michael at the foot of the slope'. The community includes the small settlements of Tyncelyn and Blaenpennal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanvihangel Crucorney</span> Human settlement in Wales

Llanvihangel Crucorney is a small village in the community (parish) of Crucorney, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Abergavenny and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Hereford, England on the A465 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llantilio Crossenny</span> Human settlement in Wales

Llantilio Crossenny is a small village and much larger former community, now in the community of Whitecastle, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is situated between the two towns of Abergavenny and Monmouth on the B4233 road. The community included Penrhos, and Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanvihangel Gobion</span>

Llanfihangel Gobion is a village and rural parish of Monmouthshire, Wales, lying within the administrative community of Llanover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern</span> Human settlement in Wales

Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern is a village in the community of Whitecastle, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located between Abergavenny and Monmouth and north of Raglan. The River Trothy passes close by.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanthony</span> Human settlement in Wales

Llanthony is a village in the community of Crucorney on the northern edge of Monmouthshire, South East Wales, United Kingdom.

Llan and its variants are a common element of Celtic placenames in the British Isles and Brittany, especially of Welsh toponymy. In Welsh an name of a local saint or a geomorphological description follows the Llan morpheme to form a single word: for example Llanfair is the parish or settlement around the church of St. Mair. Goidelic toponyms end in -lann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Gavenny</span> A river in Monmouthshire, Wales

The River Gavenny or sometimes the Gavenny River is a short river in Monmouthshire in south Wales. It rises 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney from springs near Penyclawdd Court, supplemented by springs in Blaen-Gavenny Wood and tributary streams there and within the Woodland Trust-owned Great Triley Wood. It flows south for about 4 miles (6.4 km) to its confluence with the River Usk towards the eastern end of Castle Meadows at Abergavenny. The town derives its English-language name from the Gavenny's confluence with the River Usk. Of the buildings on the banks of the river, the Gothic Decorated style church of St Teilo at Llantilio Pertholey is especially notable. Parts of the church date from the thirteenth century with multiple additions since. Blaengavenny Farm, the name of which signifies the 'head of the Gavenny', is a sixteenth century farmhouse near the river's source.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanvihangel Court</span> Tudor country house in Llavihangel Crucorney, Monmouthshire, Wales

LlanvihangelCourt, Llanvihangel Crucorney, is a Tudor country house in Monmouthshire, Wales. The architectural historian John Newman, in his Gwent/Monmouthshire volume of The Buildings of Wales series described the court as "the most impressive and richly decorated house of around 1600 in Monmouthshire". The origins of the house are medieval, with a traditional date of construction of 1471. The building was given its present appearance by a substantial enlargement and re-casing of circa 1600 by Rhys Morgan, of the family of the original owners. In the very early 17th century it was owned briefly by Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pen-y-Clawdd Court</span> Building in Llanvihangel Crucorney, Wales

Pen-y-Clawdd Court is a Grade I listed country house in Llanvihangel Crucorney, Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 1 mile (1.6 km) to the southwest of the village off the A465 road. It is a Tudor manor house, which lies within the bailey of what was Penyclawdd Castle, and is thought to date from circa 1625.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin's Church, Cwmyoy</span> Church in Monmouthshire, Wales

The Church of St Martin, Cwmyoy, Monmouthshire, Wales, was begun in the 12th century, although most of the current structure dates from the 13th century. The church is most notable for its extreme tilt, the result of a landslide. This has led to many attempts to strengthen the church and prevent its collapse, through the use of massive tie beams and buttresses. The church is in the Gothic style, and has a chancel, nave, south porch, and western tower. A round-headed north window dates to the 12th century, and the nave roof has been dated to the late 13th or early 14th century. St Martin's is a Grade I listed building and an active parish church. It is dedicated to St Martin of Tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Church, Abergavenny</span> Church

St John's Church was the parish church for Abergavenny, Monmouthshire until the Dissolution of the Monasteries when the priory church of St Mary's Priory became the parish church. The church then became a grammar school and is now part of a masonic lodge. The only parts of the church that still remain are the tower and part of the nave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Michael and All Angels, Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern</span> Church in Monmouthshire, Wales

The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a parish church with its origins in the 15th century. Renovations took place in the 19th century under the direction of Thomas Henry Wyatt. It is a Grade II* listed building and an active parish church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llancillo</span> Human settlement in England

Llancillo is a civil parish in south-west Herefordshire, England, and is approximately 13 miles (20 km) south-west from the city and county town of Hereford. The parish borders Wales at the south in which is the nearest town, Abergavenny, 7 miles (11 km) to the south-southwest. In the parish is the isolated Grade II* listed 11th-century Church of St Peter.

References

  1. "St Michael, Llanfihangel Crucorney". Church in Wales. The Representative Body of the Church in Wales. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Church of St Michael, Crucorney". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. Rees, W. (1840). The Liber Landavensis, Llyfr Teilo. Llandovery: The Welsh MSS. Society. pp.  502–503. liber landavensis.
  4. "St Michael's". St Teilos Church. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  5. Nelmes, Grahame V. (Autumn 1985). "A history of King Henry VIII's Boys Grammar School at Abergavenny". Gwent Local History. Gwent Local History Council (59): 31. Retrieved 15 April 2016 via Welsh Journals.
  6. Blundell, A. R. (1905). "Llanvihangel Crucorney Church". Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club. 1905–1907: 190–191.
  7. "Church of St Michael, Heritage Grant". Heritage Lottery Fund. Retrieved 15 April 2016.