2669

 

II*  

Designated  

18/11/1980  

 

Church of St Cybi  

 

Monmouthshire  

Llangybi  

Pontypool  

Llangybi  

337410  

196686  

 

In the centre of Llangybi village immediately to the east of The White Hart P.H.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

There are no datable features earlier than the C15, but it is clear that the Perpendicular windows are inserted into existing walling. Thus the church may well be C13/C14 in essence with the tower a contemporary of the nave or possibly a bit later, as with the chancel. The whole was then refurbished and rewindowed probably in the late C15. It was refurnished in about 1700 but was not restored until 1909-10 when it was done by W H Dashwood Caple who patched the walls and windows and built the south vestry and possibly altered the west gallery. There has been little change to the building since. The noteworthy Adam of Usk, chronicler and papal official, was incumbent in 1423.  

The entry to the church is through the west tower. This has a pointed arch of two chamfered orders leading to an internal porch. The tower is square and tapered from a battered base and has had considerable repairs, particularly on the lower of the two stages which rises without windows to a string course. Above this is a slit window for the stairs and, high under the parapet, a 2-light belfry opening with cusped heads and louvres on each face. Projecting string and castellated parapet. The nave gable is almost entirely covered by the tower which it clasps on the south side while the east gable is only slightly higher than the chancel roof. The south wall has a blocked pointed arch door, two 3-light Perpendicular windows with cusped heads, which are largely restored, particularly at the heads and a small rectangular light for the rood stair in a projection. Steeply pitched roof with coped gable. The north wall has, from the left, a projection which houses the rood stair, another 3-light Perpendicular window as before and a 3-light flat-headed window with a dripmould which could be C17. The south wall of the chancel has a small latticed window, then a lean-to C20 vestry with a casement window and a tall chimney, then a plain window with 3 equal trefoil headed lights restored in 1910. Coped gable with cross. The east gable is partly rendered and has a 3-light Perpendicular window. The north wall is blind.  

The interior is plastered and painted throughout with large, probably early C18, cornices to the nave and a plastered barrel vault. Stilted chancel arch. Medieval wall paintings, in part in good condition, especially 'Christ of the Trades' dating from about 1450. There are said to have been eight bells, six dated 1712, one of which was recast in 1907. West gallery of apparently C19 date with organ of 1933. There is no coloured glass. An elaborate, probably early C18, pulpit with relief decoration on the panelling and a sounding board. This may have been cut down from a more elaborate three decker pulpit. The pews are Victorian. Octagonal font with heraldic motifs, dated 1662. The chancel has a wooden ceiling of 1909-10, with a central kingpost. Early C18 communion rail with turned balusters. The fittings are otherwise from 1929 with oak panelling on the east wall. Good wall monuments, including one signed Tyley of Bristol of 1805.  

Included and highly graded as a good medieval church which was refitted in the C17 and given a sensitive restoration in 1909-10. It also has group value in the centre of Llangybi village.  

John Newman, Gwent/Monmouthshire, The Buildings of Wales, Penguin Books, 2000, p 309.,
Glamorgan/Gwent Archaeological Trust : Monmouthshire Churches Project.,
Sir Joseph Bradney, A History of Monmouthshire, The Hundred of Usk, 1923 (reprinted 1993),,
The Rev. Andrew E Morton, Notes on the History of the Church in Llangybi.,