St Stephen and St Tathan's Church, Caerwent, Monmouthshire

Description

Dedication: St Stephen and St Tathan

Denomination: Anglican

Photography: John Ball
Date: 5 February 2001
Camera: Sony Mavica MVC-FD91 digital

Note 1. The church of St. Stephen is an ancient edifice of stone, dating from the 13th century, and consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and an embattled western tower containing one bell. The chancel is Early English and has a very peculiar triple arcade on the south side, now built up. The nave is Perpendicular, to which period the fine porch also belongs. In the church is a fine old pulpit of carved oak with the date 1632 and the arms of Lord Tredegar and of the late Sir Charles Williams, of Llangibby, whose family owned this manor for many years. The chancel was restored in 1893 at a cost of about £700 and the restoration of the nave is now [1901] in progress. There are 250 sittings. [Extracted from Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire 1901. Full text on-line at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~familyalbum/kaerwent.htm]

Note 2. The inscribed base of a statue of the former commander of the Second Augustan Legion, Tiberius Claudius Paulinus, is displayed just inside the porch of the church (see right). The Latin inscription translates as: For Tiberius Claudius Paulinus, legate of the Second Augustan Legion, proconsul of (Gallia) Narbonensis, imperial propraetorian legate of (Gallia) Lugdunensis. By decree of the ordines for public works on the tribal council of the Silures. The stone dates from AD 220. For further details of the Roman occupation of Caerwent, see: http://www.roman-britain.org/places/venta_silurum.htm.

Note 3. When the present church was erected in the 13th century its builders were fortunate in having a good supply of stone ready to hand in the ruins of the old town [of Venta Silurum (Caerwent)]. In the 15th century the structure was restored and enlarged and the porch and tower were added. The fabric underwent extensive restoration at the end of the 19th century. Originally, two arches in the south wall of the nave led presumably into side chapels, but these later disappeared, possibly at the Reformation, and the arches were blocked up. They remained thus until in the last restoration they were opened up and a third arch added to give access to a new South aisle which was completed in 1912. [Extracted from The Parish Church of St Stephen & St Tathan Caerwent – A Short Guide, by the Venerable J Barrie Evans, revised by Rev Harold Dudley, (undated) – copies available in the church]

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/caerwent1.htm (link opens in new window)