2621

 

II  

Designated  

18/11/1980  

18/07/2001  

Church of St Peter  

 

Monmouthshire  

Goetre Fawr  

Pontypool  

Goetre  

332714  

205925  

W  

In the centre of Goetre village.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The present church dates almost entirely from 1846 when it was rebuilt by T H Wyatt and D Brandon. The medieval church was first mentioned in c1348 and was a small building generally similar to the replacement. There is a picture of this in Bradney. The south porch seems to retain some medieval fabric, though not in situ. The previous building had a west porch but no south porch, but certainly the entrance arch to the present south porch appears medieval. There are also some indications of possible older walling, mainly in the chancel, some reused window dressings and the chancel roof is said to be medieval, which could have been replaced on rebuilt walls. The faculty and plan survives from 1845 for the demolition of the old church and the erection of a larger one. This was at the instigation of Thomas Evans, the Rector from 1844-1886. The church has been little changed externally since, apart from the possible addition of the vestry, and its enlargement in 1981.  

The church is constructed of local red/grey sandstone with dressings of coarse yellow sandstone and has Welsh slate roofs. It consists of nave, with gallery at the west end, separate chancel, west bellcote, south porch, and vestry attached to the north side of the nave and chancel. Four bay nave with the south porch in the second bay from the west. The first bay has a 2-light flat topped Perpendicular style window with the central mullion rising to the top of the frame, drip moulds over. The porch is partly of c1500 (but see History) with a 2-centred arch and a dripmould with carved head stops. Pointed arch window on the left return, diagonal corner buttresses, coped gable with cross. To the right of the porch is a 3-light window as before, a stepped buttress, a 2-light window and a stepped diagonal corner buttress. The east gable is coped, with a cross. The north wall is four bays divided by stepped buttresses. The easternmost bay is covered by a projecting vestry with pointed lancet windows. This is more Seddon type and could possibly be a c.1860 addition, it was extended in 1981. The other three bays have 2-light windows as before. Some of the nave windows show indications of reused medieval stonework. The west gable has a 3-light Perpendicular style window with cusped heads and hoodmould with carved head stops. This window is supported by a buttress. Diagonal corner buttresses, coped gable topped by a gabled bellcote with two bell openings. The chancel has two bays separated by a stepped buttress and with diagonal corner buttresses, coped gable with cross. The windows are single pointed lights with trefoil heads, again with some indications of reused stonework. 3-light arched window with dripmould, this is the same as the west window but retains more medieval stonework.  

The church is plastered and painted throughout. The nave has a semi-circular waggon roof of six bays with narrow ribs dividing it into three bays across. The chancel roof is said to be medieval. The nave has a west gallery of 1846 supported on two slim cast iron columns. This carries a large organ of 1886 which entirely obscures the west window. The organ was presented to the Rector, the Rev. Thomas Evans, by his wife and children. The furnishings are all Victorian apart from the Norman font with rope moulded bowl on a Victorian base, and the probably C16 oak chest. Two centred chancel arch with Perpendicular style screen erected in memory of Rev. Richard Byrde (died 1906) in 1907. The nave panelling dates from 1930. The coloured nave windows are 1985 by Celtic Studios. The chancel has a Communion rail of 1846 and an altar and reredos in memory of Susanna Durant Sicklemore who died in 1907. The east window is 1903 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne in memory of the Rev. Thomas Evans, rector 1844-1886 who was responsible for rebuilding the church. The chancel panelling dates from 1922. Memorial on south wall of chancel to Col. Henry Bird (b Detroit 1780) who served under Sir J Moore and the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War.  

Included as an unaltered church rebuilding from the 1840s designed by T H Wyatt.