Church of St Cadoc

Cadw's description

Location

In a sloping churchyard, in the centre of Llangattock Lingoed.

History

The dedication to Welsh Saint Cadoc suggests pre-Norman origins, but the masonry is largely undatable. The chancel appears to be earlier than the nave, and the Perpendicular nave windows are late C15. The church has remained largely unchanged since the Victorian restoration of 1876 by John Prichard.

Exterior

Red sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, stone tile roofs. Nave, chancel, W tower and S porch. Porch is gabled with pointed entrance arch and has elaborate wagon roof with moulded ribs and embattled wall plate. Walls to porch (l and r) have chamfered slit openings. Studded entrance door with applied fillets. Nave S wall windows are late C15 Perp. To left of porch is a restored window with two cinquefoil lights, ribbed panels above and a flat head; to right, is a similar 3-light cinquefoiled window, and plain buttress at junction with the chancel. Chancel S wall has a 2-light cinquefoil window, a moulded four-centred arched doorway with studded door, and a pointed arched window with three cinquefoil lights and panel tracery. E gable is cement rendered and has similar 3-light cinquefoil. Nave N wall has 2-light flat-headed window and chancel N wall a 2-light cinquefoil. Three stage tapered tower. Battered plinth with moulded string. Second stage has a 2-light trefoil headed window on W face and chamfered slit opening below string on N and W sides. Each face of the bell chamber has a Gothic arch opening with louvred 2-light trefoils. Castellated parapet with five merlons on each face. Stair turret attached to NE of tower has three chamfered slit openings on N side.

Interior

Plastered walls, stone flagged floor. Nave and chancel have wagon roofs with moulded ribs; and moulded and embattled wall plates. Only the finely carved rood beam of late C15 rood screen survives: delicate pierced curvilinear decoration of intertwined vine leaves and grapes. Wall above pointed chancel arch has painted achievement of royal arms of Queen Anne. To left of arch is a squint; to right a piscina with Tudor arched head. Nave S wall has a stoup. Pointed tower arch with C19 panelled screen; headbeam of screen is carved with row of lunettes and has inscribed dates of 1593 and 1617. Chancel contains two fine C17 oak box pews: one dated 1634 with guilloche decoration, the other, decorated with lunettes bears the initials EM (said to be of Edward Morgan of Great House, Llangattock Lingoed). Font in Early English style with hemispherical bowl on plain cylindrical stem, mounted on square C19 base. Interior furnishings mostly date from the restoration of 1876-7, including altar rail with cinquefoil headed pierced panels; altar screen with panels inscribed with Lord's prayer, decalogue and creed; and organ by W.G. Vowles of Bristol. Stained glass: E window tracery contains fragments of medieval glass. Particularly fine engraved C17 and C18 wall monuments: SW Chancel: Jane Prichard (d. 1660), tablet in bolection moulded wooden frame, signed by T Brute. N Nave has three rectangular tablets, each with a curved apron enclosing a winged angel head: 1. Susana Watkins (d. 1738) 2. Phillip Christopher (d.1763) 3. John Arnold (d. 1765) signed by P+T Brute. S Nave: Ann Watkins (d. 1816), gilded monument with ornate pediment, rectangular tablet frames an oval with riband cresting and festoons, signed by John Prichard, Clodock. Amey Prichard (d. 1731) signed by T Brute; John Watkins (d.1777), rectangular tablet with winged angel at head. John Watkins of the Cwm (d. 1818), rectangular tablet with shaped head. NW Nave: James Prichard (d. 1796) signed by J Prosser of Abergavenny; Edward James (d.1804) signed by ‘Lewis'.

Reason for designation

Grade I as a very well preserved and carefully restored medieval church retaining fine tower, tracery and roofs, as well as medieval rood-beam, C17 box pews and C17-C18 monuments.