Church of St Michael

Cadw's description

Location

Approached by a lane running south from the road between Raglan and Cobbler's Plain and about 300m from it.

History

The internal batter to the walls suggests an early date, perhaps early C14, but none of the features indicate a date earlier than the late C15. The nave roof and the porch seem to be C16. The south east nave window seems C17. The church was restored in 1854 by J Prichard and J P Seddon; and in 1908, and these restorations seem to involve the east and west windows, the north windows of the nave, the bellcote and the porch roof The parish was merged with Llangunnog (church now demolished) in 1902. The first rector was recorded in 1307 and the parish register commences in 1594.

Exterior

The church is built from local coarse and fine-grained red and grey sandstone with a Welsh slate roof, but the porch has stone slates. It consists of nave, separate chancel, west bellcote and south porch. The nave has two windows on the north wall, a 2-light and a 3-light, with cusped heads to the lights, both are Victorian. The south wall has a small slit window to the left of the porch and a larger one on the right. The west gable has a pointed arch doorway with unusual bar-and-fleur-de-lys stops, plank door and a single light cusped head window above. Coped gables, the west gable has a 2-light bellcote with pointed arches and a steeply pitched gable above, east gable with stepped Victorian buttresses and apex cross. Gabled south porch with late C16 entrance arch, coped gable and cross above. The inner door has a hollow chamfer with pyramid-and-pumpkin stops, original four plank door. The chancel has a blind north wall with a small lean-to vestry of corrugated iron. The south wall has a priest's door with 2-centred head and hollow chamfer, plank door and a 2-light window with dripmould over. Perpendicular east window of 2-lights with continuous central mullion, cusped lower lights and paired lights with trefoil heads above. The churchyard contains mostly C19 memorials including a chest tomb to Susan Williams, died 1824; and a Victorian railed tomb. There are also two semi-buried steps of a medieval cross.

Interior

The interior is plastered and painted. The nave walls and the south wall of the chancel have an internal batter. The chancel arch has plastered piers and a semicircular arch of small cut stones. This matches the arch of the chancel roof and may be an alteration to suit that, possibly in the C15. The chancel roof is of close set arch braced collar trusses, the nave has a C16 waggon roof with narrow ribs and plaster panels. Early C18 turned baluster communion rails. Victorian benches and pulpit, altar dated 1862? Good leger stones in the chancel.

Reason for designation

Included at II* as an attractive and well preserved medieval church.