3116

 

II  

Designated  

02/07/1962  

07/08/1997  

Church of St Mary  

 

Torfaen  

New Inn  

Pontypool  

Panteg  

331083  

199023  

 

To the east of New Inn about 500m from the junction of The Highway and Jerusalem Lane.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The church was rebuilt in 1849 except for the tower which is late medieval, probably with the parapets rebuilt. The chancel and north aisle were added in 1876 (though Bradney says 1879), these were designed by Henry Woodyer. Apart from the addition of the choir screen in 1935 the church has been unaltered since then. The similarity of the approach to rebuilding with St Cadoc's, Trevethin suggest the Monmouth Diocesan architect T H Wyatt as the undertaker of the 1849 rebuild. Choir vestry added 1963.  

Grey limestone rubble, the body of the church matching the older tower which is built of more random rubble with dressed quoin stones; Welsh slate roofs. Nave, north aisle, south porch, chancel, vestry, west tower. The church appears to be a total Victorian rebuild except for the tower, but the south wall of the nave is suspiciously thick, and irregular on the inner face, and may have been partly reused, it is certainly refaced on the outside. Perpendicular style except for the chancel which has Early English type lancets and a Tudor style east window. Gabled south porch with verges and cross to gable. Three bay nave with two light windows of Perpendicular type, buttress between. Rear has catslide roof over north aisle, and similar windows. Verges and cross to junction gable between nave and chancel, and to the east gable. Chancel has three lancets with a shorter one to the altar. Three light east window. The west tower appears of one build but the parapets may be Victorian as has happened in the similar rebuilding at St Cadoc's, Trevethin. Three stage tower with north stair turret. West door with pointed head. Second stage has a small west window with chamfered jambs. Two light belfry windows as nave, these could be Victorian. String course, battlemented parapet with the stair turret the same height. There is a large stainless steel flue rising up the angle between the tower and the turret and going higher than the parapet.  

The chief interior feature is the Early English style tripartite chancel arch. Steeply pointed with the centre arch slightly higher, carried on polished pink columns. This presumably dates with the chancel. In front of this a C16 type oak screen erected in 1935. Another unusual feature of this church is the arcade of octagonal piers to north aisle. These carry a large and highly moulded wall plate. Fine roof of principal rafters with arch braced collars, each third one carries a kingpost. Four tiers of purlins. The chancel roof has arched braced collars and windbraces. The plain pews are Victorian, as is the font. East window by O' Connor and Taylor.  

Included as a good example of a Victorian church which retains the C16 tower and may be the work of T H Wyatt.