Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
14933
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
21/10/1994
Date of Amendment
15/03/1996
Name of Property
Llanwenarth Baptist Church
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Monmouthshire
Community
Llanfoist Fawr
Town
Locality
Govilon
Easting
326674
Northing
213748
Street Side
SE
Location
Situated near the centre of Govilon in a large burial ground immediately north of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
Description
Broad Class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Period
History
Llanwenarth is recorded as the oldest Baptist chapel in Wales; the cause was founded in 1652. The existing building is the result of several remodellings but has its origins in a chapel of 1695; in the C18 it was doubled in size and was then remodelled again, principally in 1869-70. Further renovation in 1893 and major recent restoration.
Exterior
This broad chapel has a distinctive half-hipped slate roof with rendered elevations, except to the west which is slate-hung. 2-storey, 2-window main front to south with plat band and C19 16-pane sash windows which are camber-headed to the ground floor. Offset entrance with recessed replaced doors. The downhill end has a pair of tall round-headed sash windows with horned small-pane glazing; date-stone to top. Blocked doorway to east side.
Burial ground retains a good collection of Georgian and Victorian tombstones. Boundary wall retains iron gate, in ogee Gothic style, on to canal bank.
Interior
Substantially C18 interior with gallery to three sides and box pews; the original church was the northern half of the present structure. The raked gallery has balustraded front and is carried to the front on cast-iron columns and to the middle on full height octagonal chamfered piers; the latter were inserted when the building was doubled in size and the gallery built. Simple box pews with panelled backs and doors; pews are angled to sides. Modern ceiling with roses. The pulpit, to the centre of the north wall between the tall round-headed windows, is inscribed with the following dates and initials '1706, I E 1737, R 1869, 1696 F L, 1955'. The baptistery is below; fireplace on the east wall and there are staircases to either side of lobby.
Reason for designation
Graded II* for the historical importance of this Baptist chapel and the surviving elements of its C18 interior.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
Export