17427

 

II*  

Designated  

27/11/1953  

31/01/2001  

Church of St Martin  

 

Monmouthshire  

Mitchel Troy  

Monmouth  

Pen-y-clawdd  

345281  

207874  

 

Prominently sited on an earthwork which forms the churchyard at the intersection of two roads at Pen-y-clawdd.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Built on an early Welsh defensive earthwork, church of Norman origins mostly remodelled in the late C15 or early C16. A round Norman chancel arch is said to have been replaced c1860, the round chamfered arches to nave W and S doors appear later medieval however. Restoration in 1884-5 by Henry Prothero of Cheltenham, when the tower was raised, the porch added, the windows renewed, and the E window replaced. Inside the walls were stripped of plaster and the floors repaved. The thin half timbering of the present porch is presumably of 1885, but looks of the earlier C20.  

Anglican parish church, rubble stone, with silvery slates to roofs, red clay ridge tiles and ashlar coped gables. Small scale, nave, chancel, and W tower with stone tiles to pyramid roof. Added half-timbered S porch. W tower quite plain with single tiny lancet bell-openings, the stonework shoing that originally the roof was just above nave ridge line. Nave has S porch apparently wholly rebuilt in thin half-timber on rubble stone. Gabled rectangular blank plaque over tie-beam had a carved IHS shield panel. Chamfered round arch to S door within, with C19 plank door. Flat-headed 3-light C19 window to right (1884 plans show a 3-light here, but without tracery). Chancel S has C19 pointed narrow door and C14 cusped lancet to right. Bath stone E window of 1885 with square head and ogee Perpendicular style tracery, C19 hoodmould and reused medieval stops. Windowless chancel N wall, the walling apparently C19. Rebuilt nave N wall (except NE corner) with C19 flat-headed 3-light window, as on S side.  

Exposed rubble stone walls. Small nave with C15 8x8 panel barrel-vaulted ceiling and heavily moulded wall plates. Single tie-beam at the W end. E end has step-back in stonework over chancel arch. Small arched W doorway into tower with stone voussoirs and early C19 board door. Tower base with flat timber ceiling and matchboard lining to walls. Nave N and S windows with deep splayed C19 reveals, N window with small stained glass panel of 1996. C19 pointed Bath stone chancel arch, mouldings dying into piers. C15 chancel roof similar to nave, of 5x8 panels with moulded wallplate. Tie-beam at W end. C19 heads to S wall openings. Some C19 encaustic tiles to the sanctuary. Altar rails with 2 wrought iron Gothic posts and wooden rail. Stained glass E window of 1885, SS Martin and Mary, in C15 style, eroded. C19 shelf with ogee arched head in SE corner. Heavily tooled bowl font, possibly reworked medieval, on round shaft. C19 pews and stalls, small early C20 timber pulpit. C18 plaque at W end recording gift of £40 per annum to the poor from the will of William Jones of Tregyrog. Chancel N C14 stone coffin lid carved in relief: Greek cross with foliate terminals on long embranched stem. Eroded low relief robes and higher relief head said to have been of a priest: found during restoration work in 1885. In the tower is a floor slab to Richard Edwards of Pen-y-clawdd d 1673, in the porch one to Walter Edmonds d 1676.  

Included at Grade II* as a medieval church of early origins with fine C15 barrel roofs.