Church of St James

Location

At the north end of Devauden village on the right hand side of the road to Monmouth.

History

Devauden church has an interesting history, but the current church has been altered from its original appearance. It began as Devauden school built by James Davies at the expense of the Duke of Beaufort in 1814 and it was the first National School in Monmouthshire. The school was converted to a church in 1827 at Davies' expense (£45) because the parish church at Newchurch (qv) was so far away and the forest dwellers were consequently 'godless'. He built a new schoolroom and a house for himself in 1837, these survive next to the church, but have been converted to modern dwellings. A drawing of 1839 shows these buildings when new. It shows the church with a hipped roof and four smaller windows with a continuous dripmould, a 'Gothick' rather than its current C17 type appearance. This may only mean an inacccurate drawing. Davies in 1839 recorded that 'the exterior and interior of the chapel exhibited the taste and judgement of Mr Wyatt', T.H.Wyatt perhaps? The current appearance of the church could also be T.H.Wyatt who was Diocesan architect. This could date from c1845-50, but it only exhibits minor changes from the drawing. The evidence is contradictory and several different dates for the changes are suggested by various authorities, see References below. It remained a chapel-of-ease of St Peter, Newchurch until 1958. The parish of Devauden was combined with those of St Arvans which included Penterry, Itton and Kilgwrrwg in 1981.

Exterior

The church is built of random sandstone rubble with Welsh slate roofs. Single cell building aligned north west/south east with the entrance on the east and altar on the west, chancel apse, gabled entrance porch. The road (south) elevation has four 2-light windows with leaded lattices and pointed lights. Strip buttress at either end. Half octagon chancel to the left. Gabled porch to right. Plain gabled roof with small bellcote at right hand (east) end. The rear wall is blind and is of rougher stone. The entrance has a gabled porch with pointed head door. Circular light with trefoil tracery in the gable above. Bellcote on modillion brackets; single small bell.

Interior

Interior not available at time of resurvey.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a school built by its master in 1814 and then converted into a church in 1827 (but see History above).