2023

 

II*  

Designated  

19/08/1955  

08/09/2000  

Church of St Thomas a Becket  

 

Monmouthshire  

Devauden  

Chepstow  

Wolvesnewton  

345420  

199770  

 

In the centre of Wolvesnewton village on the north side of the road west from Cobbler's Plain.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

In origin C13, this church was first attested in 1254. It has the Anglo/Norman plan with opposing north and south doors to the nave. The earliest datable features are the middle window of the nave south wall and the lower stage west window of the tower, both early C13, the blocked north door may be of similar date. The other south windows of the nave are C15/C16 type, as are also the priest's door and the rood stair door, the north windows are C16. The top stage of the tower is an addition, probably in the C17. There was a restoration in 1857 by John Norton, and another faculty for 'improvement' is recorded in 1888. The chancel was fitted out by T W Camm in 1924. The first rector is recorded in 1350, the church register begins in 1680. The parish was joined with Kilgrwrrwg in 1884.  

The church is built of coursed local rubble of red/grey sandstone grading into conglomerate. The walls are partly battered which suggests an early date. The roofs are covered in Welsh slates. The plan is nave, separate chancel, west tower and south porch. The nave has a 2-light window with trefoil headed lights to the left of the porch and a single light and a 3-light one on the right, the rear wall has two 2-light ones, the right hand one of which is renewed and cuts into the head of the blocked north door. Coped gables and tiled ridge. Gabled south porch with a partly reconstructed pointed arch, the inner porch door is a Victorian reconstruction. The chancel has a much lower ridge line, South door and 2-light window, blind north wall, 2-light decorated east window with quatrefoil. Coped gable with cross. West tower of two stages, the upper stage is diminished and is probably a later heightening. Lancet low down on the west wall, one on north wall at high level. The upper stage has a 2-light belfry opening on each face, saddle-back roof with coped gables. The ghost of the previous nave ridge line survives on the east face.  

Plain whitewashed interior with mostly Victorian fittings and furnishings. The font is an assembly of disparate pieces. The tower arch is closed with a plank screen. The chancel was 'furnished, panelled and adorned with stained glass' in 1924. The roofs are close set collar trusses with raking supports. These and the chancel arch are Victorian. There are said to be three bells dated 1607, 1680 and 1682, all were recast in 1914. The nave windows are 1949 memorials to WWII.  

Included and highly graded as a medieval church with a particularly fine tower which was sensitively restored in the Victorian period.