1992

 

II*  

Designated  

09/01/1956  

09/12/2005  

Church of St. Bartholomew  

 

Monmouthshire  

Goetre Fawr  

Abergavenny  

Llanover  

331795  

209426  

 

About 1200m north of Llanover village by the River Usk and on the west side of the minor road from Llanellen to Llanfair Kilgeddin.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The nave, could in origin, be Norman, as it has a south door with the possibility of a north door opposite, now included in the Perpendicular window which is placed rather oddly in the north wall. The nave seems likely to be older than the chancel which appears in origin to be early C14. The tower is probably early C16. The porch is an addition of 1750 (dated). The church had a minor Victorian restoration of unknown date and little has been changed since. The village school was held in the tower until 1835.  

Built of red sandstone, mostly rubble, but each part of the church has a different treatment. The nave has cement render to the south wall and random rubble showing through remains of lime render to the north wall. The chancel has medieval roughly coursed rubble on the north wall and a Victorian squared rock faced south wall. The tower is carefully built of large coursed squared stone. Stone slate roofs to nave, chancel and porch with probably lead to the tower. Nave with south porch, lower chancel, tall west tower with stair turret to the north-west corner. The south wall of the nave is in four unequal bays, porch, window, window, rood stair. The porch is wide and gabled with double oak gates and a curious timber segmental arch to the opening. Recessed panel in gable 'Erected 1750' and the names of the Churchwardens. The two windows are 3-light renewed late Perpendicular style i.e. probably late C16 in origin, with cinquefoil headed lights set into a flat-topped frame. The rood stair projection has a small window. The east gable wall is both wider and higher than the chancel, apex cross. The north wall has two similar windows almost as widely spaced as possible. The chancel south wall is a Victorian rebuild or re-facing. It has a small priest's door with a 2-light trefoiled window to the right. The east window is an unrestored 3-light Perpendicular one with cinquefoiled lights under a 4-centred head. The north wall has a narrow blocked doorway and a single trefoiled lancet. The window is renewed, but these features are evidence of the early C14 origin of the chancel. The tower appears of one build and is carefully constructed with a strong batter as befits its height. Three stages with moulded plinth and string courses. Two centred west doorway with triple mould, wave, hollow, wave; small square window above. The second stage has small square windows on the north and south faces. The bell-stage has paired openings to each face, cinquefoiled ogees under a square head. Castellated parapet with corner water spouts, the corner turret rises higher, also with castellations and an additional string-course.  

The interior is wholly plastered and painted apart from the stonework of the arches. Probably C14 tower and chancel arches. Rere-arch to the south door decorated with rosettes. Late Victorian furnishings apart from the Norman type bowl font decorated with possibly added circular flower motifs and a rope mould round the base, and the altar rail which is dated 1700. One section of carved oak panelling with C17 lettering. Two painted timber hatchments and a very unusual Royal Arms datable between 1816 and 1837 over the chancel arch. Multi-rib wagon roof with brattished wall plates to nave and another to chancel, both of C16 type but suspiciously light construction (so perhaps part of the Victorian restoration).  

Included and highly graded for its special interest as a medieval church sensitively restored in the C19, which retains significant early fabric and detail.