2072

 

II*  

Designated  

19/11/1953  

27/10/2000  

Church of St Michael and All Angels  

 

Monmouthshire  

Whitecastle  

Monmouth  

Llanvihangel-ystern-llewern  

343281  

213955  

 

In the centre of Llanfihangel-ystern-llewern, in a gently sloping churchyard.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Medieval church: the external masonry is largely undatable. The nave wagon roof and windows date from late C15. The Victorian restoration of chancel in 1874 was carried out by T H Wyatt, who completely rebuilt the timber belfry, together with the great timber frame on which the belfry stands, which rises at the W end of nave.  

Small late C15 church with timber belfry. Rubble stone, some ashlar dressings, battered stone plinth. Plain tile roof and tile ridge with stone gable copings. Nave, chancel, S porch, and timber bell-turret mounted over W ridge of nave. Bell-turret is square with steep pyramidal roof and wooden bell-chamber. Each face of bell chamber has three louvred 2-light trefoils, lower chamber wall is tile-hung. Nave S wall has off-centre gabled wooden porch with arch-braced collar truss roof. Porch entrance has Tudor arched head and double ogee moulded wooden doorframe. Lower side walls of porch are stone and upper walls have unglazed 7-light wooden diamond mullions. To right of porch, Nave S wall has late C15 Perpendicular 3-light cinquefoil headed window with flat head and ribbed panels to tracery. Chancel roofline is lower. Base of walls (to a height of approximately 2m) are medieval, but the upper walls date from C19 reconstruction. Chancel S wall has (l to r) a trefoil headed lancet, next a pointed arched chamfered stone doorway with C19 boarded door, and then 2-light window with flat head. E gable has large stone cross at apex, and a pointed arched window with two trefoil headed lights. Attached to Chancel N wall is small C19 gabled vestry, with quatrefoil in gable head and two trefoil headed lancets below. Side wall of vestry has shouldered arched entrance doorway and C19 door with ornamental strap hinges. Nave N wall has two pointed arched windows each with 2-lights and Y-tracery (the right window is a C19 restoration) and single buttress with offsets. W gable has quatrefoil in gable-head and below a 3-light lancet window with trefoils.  

The interior is largely C19 in character. The most remarkable feature is the great C19 timber bell frame which rests on four moulded stone corbels at the W end of nave. Wall posts and arch braces rise from the corbels to support battlemented tie beams; above the tie beam, the massive principals are curved and form a pointed arch supported by queen posts. Between the queen posts tall arch braces rise to the apex with smaller cross braces in the bays on each side. Nave wagon roof is late C15 and has moulded ribs and wall plate. Pointed chancel arch is double chamfered, the inner arch supported on fluted corbels. To left of arch is Tudor arched doorway to gallery stair of former rood screen. Chancel wagon roof is C19 with moulded ribs, floral bosses and embattled wall plate. Chancel has encaustic tile floor, C19 communion rail supported on wrought iron supports with scrolled brackets. Chancel S wall piscina with chamfered pointed arch. C12 pedestal font with hemispherical bowl, octagonal shaft and plinth; C19 cover. C19 polygonal wooden pulpit has colonettes with shaft rings at angles forming open arcade, lower sunk panels with blind pointed arches. C19 pews have close boarded backs and shaped ends. C20 Eagle lectern. Wrought iron corona lucis hanging by chains from circlet, 8 candle sockets, coronet decorated with fleurs-de-lys. Stained glass: C19 E window; St George and the Dragon 1906-7 by C E Kempe. Wall monuments: Nave S wall monument to John Hopkins (died 1749). Nave N wall, fine Brute-style monument of 1698 has Hopkins shield surmounted by a skull and cross bones. Also, monument to ‘John Hughes of the Mardee' (died 1792), and bronze memorial plaque to celebrated local antiquarian Sir Joseph Bradney (died 1933).  

Included at II* as a late medieval church with surviving original fabric, including fine C15 wagon roof and unusual C19 timber-framed belfry.