St Meugan's Church, St Maughans, Monmouthshire

Description

Denomination: Anglican

Dedication: St Meugan / Maughan

Built: pre 1800 (see note 2 below)
Rebuilt: 1815 (see note 3 below)
Repaired: circa 1914 Photography: Peter Williams
Date: 10 October 2007
Camera: Fuji FinePix 2800 Zoom digital

Note 1. The church is unusual for this part of Wales in having two naves, i.e. two parallel bodies of equal width. The northern nave is 13th century, having two north lancets. The tower with a timber framed top to the west of it may also be 13th century. The 17th century south nave has one original south window and an arcade of octagonal timber pillars supporting a hughe moulded beam. The south porch is dated 1732 and the other windows are Victorian. The font is Norman. On the chancel wall is a stone of 1740 with a tinted floral surround. [Source: The Old Parish Churches of Gwent, Glamorgan & Gower by Mike Salter, Folly Publications, Malvern, 1991; ISBN1-871731-08-9]]

Image 1:

Southern aspect of St Meugan's Church.

Note 2. This venerable chapelry in the parish of Llangattock vibon Avel is very hard to find, but well worth searching for. It is an early foundation, as there survives work of both Norman and Early English date here (the tub font and a "low side" window in the north wall of the nave). The church was restored, but fortunately with a light hand, by John and Elizabeth Rolls in 1863, and they left the timberwork intact. For here at St Maughan's the nave and south aisle are divided by a wooden arcade, the pillars being roughly adzed tree-trunks which support the solid timbers of the wall-plate. The "thrust" of the roofs is considerable, and both the north and soputh walls lean ourwards, the former being heavily buttressed, but inside the church the whole ensemble is a very impressive piece of rugged, functional joinery. There is more woodwork in the tower at the west end of the nave, for it is topped by one of the timber belfries characteristic of a group of churches in the Monmouth area, relatively close to the English border. [Source: Ancient Gwent Churches, by John R. Guy and Ewart B. Smith, Starling Press Ltd, Risca, 1980; ISBN 903434 42 3]

Image 2, 3:

South aisle (Image 2) and Norman font (Image 3).

Note 3. Built in the Gothic Decorated style, long-wall entry type. A prominent feature of this Church is the small tower. Wallpainting; remains of hand painted star-shaped pattern beneath the rear arch of East window. [Source: Coflein website of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (accessed July 2016]

Image 4:

Wooden pillars and screen dividing the southern aisle (left) from the nave.

Note 4. The church consists of nave and chancel, with an aisle on the south side. This is divided from the nave by ancient posts of timber, though there are remains of arches springing at the east and west ends. The church was much altered in 1866. It has always been considered as a chapelry to Llangattock, and the patronage of the living has been in the hands of the lord of the manor of Llangattock, and the incumbents the same as of that parish. [Source: A History of Monmouthshire, by Joseph Alfred Bradney, Vol I Part I, Mitchell Hughes and Clarke, London, 1907]

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/st-maughans1.htm (link opens in new window)