Church of St Catwg

Cadw's description

Location

In a relatively isolated position about 2.4km SSW of Monmouth, in the fork of two lanes which run S up towards Cwmcarvan Hill.

History

Probably late C13 or early C14, tower added or rebuilt c.1525; restored and chancel rebuilt by John Prichard 1872-9. Apparently customarily regarded as a chapel-of-ease to St Michael's.

Exterior

A humble medieval nave-and-chancel church, with N and S porches, greatly dignified by a superbly-proportioned and finely-finished W tower built in the early Tudor period. The nave, porches and chancel are all built of warm-hued Old Red Sandstone with roofs of small grey slates; the tower of greyer-hued ashlar.
The tower has 3 stages, boldly distinguished by weathered string-courses carried round, and finished with an emphatically embattled parapet, and has a slightly-tapered rectangular 4-stage stair-turret at the NE corner, rising above the main parapet, similarly embattled and carrying a tall weather-cock. Its W
face has a Tudor-arched doorway with a hoodmould, a small square window above this; a 2-centred arched belfry window to the top stage, of 2 cusped depressed-arched lights with stone louvres and Perpendicular blank tracery above; and, at each end of the string-course above, a very prominent but plain pipe-shaped gargoyle. The S side of the 2nd stage has a vertically-aligned pair of small square windows; the N side has only one. Each side of the belfry stage has a window like the W side.
The N side of the nave has a single very sturdy buttress near the E end, a medieval cusped lancet to the right of this, with a hoodmould, a large Victorian 3-light traceried window, and a prominent gabled porch towards the W end, with a moulded 2-centred doorway and an apex finial. Its S side has a small gabled porch close to the W end, with shafted imposts and hollow moulding; 2 widely-spaced square-headed 3-light windows with cinquefoiled lights; and in the centre between these is a low blocked square-headed doorway with a humped monolithic lintel. The chancel (rebuilt by Prichard) has a priest doorway flanked by 2-light mullioned windows with depressed-arched lights; a similar E window; and a similarly-arched 1-light window on the N side. The E gables of the nave and chancel both have
raised coping, that to the chancel of emphatic width.

Interior

Both walls of the nave (which are now unplastered) have a pronounced internal batter, and carry deep moulded wallplates with brattished cornices, from which rises a late medieval ribbed barrel-vaulted roof. In the centre of the S wall is a blocked round-headed doorway. At the W end is a relatively narrow tower arch with a Tudor-arched extrados and a set-in 2-centred arch dying into the sides, both arches with sunk-wave moulding: probably late C13 or early C14. It contains a wooden screen made of Jacobean carved arched panels. At the E end is a low 2-centred and double-chamfered chancel arch, and within the chancel the E side of the wall above shows the gable line of a formerly lower chancel. In the centre of the S wall of the chancel is a blocked 2-centred arch; and on the floor of the NE corner is a medieval stone coffin lid with carved with a cross in a foliated roundel.

Reason for designation

Included as a medieval church retaining interesting original detail, and with a fine early Tudor tower.