1962

 

I  

Designated  

09/01/1956  

15/03/2000  

Bettws Newydd Church  

 

Monmouthshire  

Llanarth  

Usk  

Bettws Newydd  

336223  

205874  

 

Situated at SE end of village, approached by lane running E just N of Bettws Lodge.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Anglican parish church, dedication uncertain, possibly St Aeddan. Apparently C15 though probably of C12 foundation, remarkable for the complete late medieval screen, including the boarding above, possibly unique in Britain. Similar in form and detail to the churches at Trostrey and Kemeys Commander nearby. Restored 1872 in memory of W.R. Stretton of Brynderwen (d 1848). Font is like those at Abergavenny and Goetre. Vestry added 1894-5 by H. Prothero of Cheltenham, for £150.  

Anglican parish church, rubble stone with large corner stones. Much of tracery in red sandstone. Stone-tiled single roof. Nave and chancel in one with W bellcote, W porch and NE added vestry. C19 coping to gables with cross finials. W bellcote is rubble stone, coped with 2 arched bell-openings. W porch has moulded pointed W doorway, Perp style, shafted with ogee and hollow mouldings. Single light each side, that to N C19 restored, with tracery and pierced spandrels, that to S simpler. Stone seats within. Roof has C19 open panel roof of 6x3 panels. Original moulded wallplate. Inner door is pointed, chamfered with broach stops. Studded oak plank door with moulded applied strips. S wall has slight centre rood projection. Two much renewed Perp windows to left, door and one similar window right. Windows are flat-headed with recessed cusped tracery. Door is narrow, Tudor-arched and moulded with broach stops. Plank door. Rood projection has quoins and small single traceried light to top right, renewed Perp. Much restored E end wall with 3-light deep-recessed E window, four-centred arch with panel tracery, much renewed. Vestry has lean-to roof, ashlar coping and square chimney at SW. red stone 2-light E window, reused shortened from N wall. N side of nave has one C19 2-light window.  

Heavily pointed rubble walls. W door has stone voussoirs to cambered head. N wall has 3m long shallow recess with renewed coved moulding above. S side has narrow red stone rood-stair door with flattened arch. C19 NE lean-to is partly vestry, partly transept. Fine nave barrel roof of 6x6 plastered panels with fine moulded wall-plate, moulded ribs some renewed and C19 bosses. Similar chancel roof of 4x6 panels, mostly restored, original moulded wall-plate. Outstanding oak screen of 5 panelled bays each side of centre doorway, the side bays with timber tracery above and reused early C18 panelling below. Projecting loft, plastered beneath, with finely carved beam, undercut vine and oak trail. Loft front is panelled in 14 bays with pierced tracery to panels and affixed ogee crocketted arch in front of each panel. Moulded posts. Top rail is also carved with leaf trail. Tympanum above panelled in with chamfered vertical and horizontal beams, centre ones to a cross form. Rear has heavy coved and moulded beam, doorway has crocketted finials to attached shafts, depressed arched head with traceried spandrels. Panels have hollow-moulded mullions. Tympanum above screen has cross form and 2 small windows in panelling with 3-light timber tracery. Bowl font with rope-mould over band of half-round reeding on underside, hexagonal shaft and splayed base with 'malt-shovel' panels. Small piscina in chancel S set low. Large corbel in E wall 5-sided with beaded angles. C19 bench pews, communion rails, lectern and E wall panelling. Altar table made up of reused C18 or late C17 panelling.  

Listed at Grade I as a well-preserved and well-restored medieval parish church retaining fine original details, including the late medieval screen.