2913

 

II*  

Designated  

01/03/1963  

22/08/2003  

Church of Saint Basil  

 

Newport  

Graig  

Newport  

Bassaleg  

327735  

187124  

N  

On the E side of Bassaleg, on the N side of the churchyard some 75m W of the Afon Ebwy.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Anglican parish church, medieval, restored 1878-9 by Habershon Fawckner & Co of Newport and 1902-3 by C. Busteed Fowler of Cardiff with Morgan chapel rebuilt 1916 by W.D. Caroe. A priory was founded here c. 1105 by Robert de la Haye but was abandoned in 1235. The present fabric is principally C14 to C15, nave and chancel with large W tower and S aisle. A free-standing C14-15 chapel on the S side was demolished c. 1850. The medieval arcade, since replaced, was of heavy square pillars and low arches. The NE chapel of uncertain date was possibly built c.1800 as a burial place of the Morgans of Tredegar, similar to the chapel at Lower Machen, and was remodelled in 1916 for the 1st Viscount Tredegar, died 1934, and contains some particularly fine monuments from 1806 onward. The S porch, nave arcade and windows are of 1878-9, the S transept (organ chamber), chancel roof and possibly the nave and aisle roofs are of 1902-3, and the N chancel arcade and roofs and fittings of the NE chapel are of 1916.  

Parish church, rubble stone with ashlar dressings, slate roofs and coped gables. W tower, nave, chancel, S aisle with S porch and S transept or organ chamber, and NE mausoleum chapel. The W tower is large, 3-stage, C15, with plinth, 3 moulded string courses and embattled parapets. Large cornerstones. Bell stage has small flat-headed 2-light ashlar openings with stone voussoirs, middle stage has small rectangular or square lights, 2 on W and 2 on S, and lowest stage has 3-light C15 flat-headed window with cusped lights and relieving arch, the plinth moulding carried over W door as hoodmould. W door is C15, segmental arched in moulded surround, with C19 double doors. S side bell-opening masked by C19 clock. S aisle has battered base to wall (all other walls are straight), old cornerstones to SW, some in red sandstone, W end C19 3-light window with reticulated ogee tracery, hoodmould and stone voussoirs (typical of all the replaced windows of 1878-9). S side has C19 S porch, 3 similar S windows, S transept with another similar window, and similar E window, the E end stonework continuous with nave E end. Large S porch of 1878-9 in squared rockfaced stone with clasping buttresses, and large heavily moulded and shafted arch with hoodmould and carved head stops. Two small pointed windows each side. Inner door in big 1878-9 moulded pointed arch over cambered-headed doorway with roll-moulded head and double ledged doors. Each side are fine eroded medieval carved angel stops to a lost hoodmould, and on inner side of outer doorway are 2 further medieval carved stops. S transept of 1902-3 has tall gable, purple stone quoins, and reset 1878-9 window over pointed C19 door with hood and purple stone voussoirs. Chancel has lower roof. Small later C19 addition in angle to S aisle E, with canted hipped lean-to roof, window to S and door in canted SE wall. Chancel S C16 flat-headed 4-light window with hoodmould, the lights with segmental pointed heads. Under sill is fine plaque to Hugh Jones of Troderhiwrgelli, Radns., bailiff to the Tredegar estate, died 1719. E end has C19 quoins and gable coping dated 1903, roundel in apex and E C15 4-light Perpendicular style window with panel tracery and hoodmould. NE chapel is added, straight joint to chancel E end, all detail of 1916. E flat-headed 3-light window set high and no coping to gable, diagonal NE gabled buttress, N single-light, another gabled buttress, 3-light window and transeptal gable (attached to nave wall) with stepped 3-light window set high, and carved boss in gable. Added earlier C20 porch on W side with flat roof and parapet, door to N single light and basement entry to W. Nave N wall has 3 windows similar to those on S aisle.  

Tower has C19 boarded ceiling, C15 Tudor-arched narrow door to winding stair. Deep segmental arch over W door with thin stone voussoirs. Tower arch also has thin voussoirs to pointed arch. Moulded imposts to stone side piers. Late C19 timber screen with attractive leaded glazing to Gothic panels. Nave and aisle have segmental arched panelled ceilings with painted moulded ribs and plaster panels, S aisle roof much narrower, possibly both of 1902-3, nave roof of 14x6 panels aisle roof of 14x4 panels, with coved cornices and shields under main ribs. Five bay 1878-9 ashlar arcade with alternate round and octagonal piers and 2-chamfer arches. Nave aisle paved with grave slabs. Segmental arch cut through nave N wall 1916 into antechapel of NE chapel. Medieval chancel arch C14 or early C15 with 2-chamfer pointed arch dying into plain sides. Chancel has ornate 2-bay N arcade to NE chapel, of 1916, with ashlar pointed 2-chamfer arches dying into piers and 3 column shafts, ornate carved spandrels and cresting. Roof of 1902-3 has 3 trusses with cambered tie-beams, posts with cusping above up to collars and Tudor-arched bracing to tie beams from corbels. S wall has been straightened to carry roof with a jetty carried on moulded broad stone corbels. N wall has a lancet (now into NE chapel) in deep splayed reveal. Big C15 E window has stone voussoirs to segmental-pointed reveal. Ashlar roundel set high in gable above. S wall has segmental-pointed piscina, much renewed or C19, C15 S window has oak lintel. NE chapel of 1916 has segmental oak-vault to ante-chapel with blind tracery, pointed stone arch into chapel matching the 2 arches from chapel to chancel, and chapel has fine roof of collar trusses with cambered collars, deep arched braces and decorative brattishing to collars and parallel purlins. Fittings: C19 ashlar octagonal font. C19 pine pews. Oak Gothic pulpit post 1935 with ornate traceried panels and vine-trail cornice, similar reading desk. Chancel has early C20 dado panelling, rail with 4 Gothic pierced uprights. Oak Gothic reredos of 1939 with ornate vine-trail surround and cresting, canopied blank centre and 5 traceried panels each side, centre left with wheat motif, centre right with vine, outermost posts with angels. Matching panelling each side. NE chapel has carved oak stalls on antechapel W wall in 2 rows, apparently C19, panelled dado to main chapel more ornate in sanctuary. Very ornate reredos of 1916 on chapel E wall in ashlar, Gothic, with much cresting and statues of SS George and David flanking, centre Adoration of the Magi. Fine hanging brass candelabra, 2 large ones in nave with 2 tiers of branches of 1822 said to come from St Woolos, Newport. Smaller later chandeliers also in nave, S aisle and NE ante-chapel. Painted hatchments of the early C19, 2 on nave N wall, 4 in S aisle. Large organ in S aisle transept in pine case with painted pipes, said to be of 1902-3. Stained glass: Nave N first SS George, Michael & David, c. 1920 to Lt Col C. Wilkie and 17th Battalion Welch Regiment (the names of the fallen in 3 brass plaques around), attributed to Martin Travers. N second, Faith, Hope and Charity, in green aesthetic movement colours, 1904 by A. Savell & Co, to Capt S. Homfray, (d 1894) and J. Hearsey (d 1901); patterned glass in N third and S aisle first and third. Chancel E window of 4 Evangelists of c. 1860 by Cox & Son, to Rev. T. Leyson (d 1838), in bright colours, the top lights with 12 reused German C17-C18 panels, chancel S has 2 similar inset panels. NE chapel antechapel has earlier C20 high N window with Morgan arms flanked by Virgin and a female saint. Chapel has N 3-light c. 1990 and single light 1977 both by Alan Younger. E window of SS David, Basil & Dubricius, 1917, by Kempe & Co. S aisle E window, Angel at tomb, by G. Maile Studios, to J. Whitmore (d 1964), second window, SS Luke, Matthew and John, 1910 by Kempe & Co, and W window by Alan Younger 1988. Memorials: Nave N brass plaque to Lt A. Justice died at Pretoria 1880 with design of 2 soldiers; marble plaque to Rev. J. Yorath (d 1852) by Cade of Bristol. Brass to Samuel Homfray of Tredegar Ironworks (d 1882). Three matching neo-Grec marble memorials to the Homfray family, the earliest to Samuel (d 1822) by H. Wood of Bristol with inscription also to Watkin (d 1837) and Jane (d 1846); second to Charlotte (d 1852) (by AH James of Newport); and third to Lorenzo (d 1903). On left pier of arch to NE chapel, plaque to Rev. B. Williams (d 1858), by T. Williams of Newport. On left of chancel arch, ashlar Gothic memorial to Lord Tredegar, (d 1875) with crocketted gable, another similar within NE antechapel to Lady Rosamund Style d 1883. On right of chancel arch marble Gothic plaque to Octavia Somerton (d 1869) by Tyley of Bristol. On inner chancel arch piers plaques to Phillips family 1822-58 and Rev W. Phillips (d 1875), by J. Thomas of Newport. Chancel has marble plaques to Ellen Leyson (d 1867), Rev T. Leyson (d 1838), CR Morgan MP (d 1854), neo-Grec, Caroline Leyson (d 1851) and Ellen Leyson (d 1839). S aisle has plaque to RE White drowned in Russia 1887 with low relief of ship, by AH James of Newport. NE Morgan chapel has large N wall memorial to Viscount Tredegar, (d 1934). W wall very fine neo-Grec memorial with draped urn and seven mourning children, to Lady Maria Morgan, 1808, by Sir Richard Westmacott (1775-1856), 2 brasses to C.O.S. Morgan FRS d 1888 and AJ and GL Morgan (d 1900 and 1907). E wall has marble neo-Jacobean large memorial with some 20 painted shields and strapwork cresting to Sir Charles Morgan (d 1846), by J. Evan Thomas (1810-73). NE chapel has N wall very fine memorial by Coade & Sealy, in Coade's patent stone, to Sir Charles Morgan (d 1806), with sarcophagus and reclining female over base with upturned torches on outer piers. S wall monument to Gwyneth Morgan (d 1924) by Cecily Thomas 1936 with poem by Evan Morgan (Thomas also designed memorial to Gwyneth Morgan in churchyard outside E end of chapel).  

Graded II* as a substantial medieval church with Morgan of Tredegar mausoleum attached, which contains high quality memorials of the early C19.