The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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St Mary's Church, Undy

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 00463g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Magor With Undy
Unitary authority : Monmouthshire
NGR : ST43998693
Site Type (preferred type first) : Medieval Church
Status : listed building II

Summary :
Undy church is first mentioned in 1254, but may have been constructed on an earlier site. The church consists of nave, separate chancel, central bellcote (replacing an earlier tower), S porch, and a vestry built against the N side of the chancel. The church has been considerably modified; most of the remaining medieval architectural details are Perpendicular, but there is some earlier work. The porch is dated 1796. The main Victorian restoration was in 1878.

Description :
Undy church is first mentioned in 1254, but may have been constructed on an earlier site. Before the recent extension, the churchyard was quadrangular but a curved SW corner, and there is a possible earlier Celtic dedication (Brook, 1988, 84); gravedigging in the extension has also turned up evidence for Roman occupation (notes in SMR, PRN 4734g). It belonged to the abbey of Bec and priory of Goldcliff (Davies 1953, 99). The church is built of fine-grained grey and red limestone; the quoins are in a fine-grained pinkish buff quartz conglomerate, characterised by platey pebbles, and the dressings to the openings in Bath stone.

The church consists of nave, separate chancel, central bellcote, S porch, and a vestry built against the N side of the chancel. Freeman (1851a, 103, 106) describes the church as having a central tower with a pyramidal roof and `a south aisle, now destroyed'; this tower also appears on an early drawing reproduced by Perry (1994, facing 16). The eastern arch, which was `rather ornate, with Early English shafts and mouldings' is obviously the present chancel arch, but the western was `of great rudeness', being `of no shape at (Freeman 1851a, 110). From the drawing published by Perry, the church does not seem to be of the standard levels central tower plan, since the tower was narrower than the chancel. To the S of the chancel arch was another archway, now represented only by the springing at its N side: this may have been for the staircase to the tower recorded by Perry, though she also reports a squint in this position (Perry 1994, 16, 17). Freeman also comments on the W facade, which is unusual in that the door has been displaced to the S to respect the window `the architect having, apparently, an unusual scruple against mutilating what he found'(Freeman 1851a, 108); the door is identical with the external door of the porch at Redwick. The door between the porch and nave is usually reported as being Norman, is more likely to be of early post-medieval date, as it is original and replaces an earlier, slightly taller door, the line of whose head can be seen slightly to the east of the present one. In the chancel, the windows are of 15/16th century type, and the priest's door would be consistent with this date. The outer wall of the porch bears the date of 1796, but it is not clear what precisely this date refers to; it could be the rebuilding of the porch, or merely the refacing of its S wall with squared blocks in a technique close to ashlar. An internal refitting was carried out in 1861, architects Prichard and Seddon. The walls of the nave were partly rebuilt or refaced during the Victorian restoration of 1878, when the present N and S windows of the nave were inserted, and the original tower replaced by the present bellcote.

There is a 12th century font, but otherwise the internal fittings are Victorian or later. Wright (1940b, 240) visited the church in 1921 and noted a single (cracked) bell of 1350-80 with a unique inscription; it had been rehung in 1920. There was originally at least one other, since Undy was in 1762 granted a faculty for the sale of a bell to raise money for repairs to the church (GRO LL/F833; Perry 17).

References:
Documentary
GRO LL/F833, 1762, Faculty: Sale of bells for cost of repairs to church

Published
Bradney, J A, 1932, A history of Monmouthshire. Vol 1V pt ii, The Hundred of Caldicot (part 2), 263-5
Brook, D, 1988, The early Christian church in Gwent, Monmouthshire Antiq 5, 67-84
Davies, E T,1953, An ecclesiastical history of Monmouth. Risca
Evans, J D, 1988, The churchyard yews of Gwent, 77, 163
Freeman, E A, 1851a, On architectural antiquities in Monmouthshire I, Archaeol Cambrensis 2 ser 2, 99-113
Perry, M, 1994, The historic village of Undy (2nd edn: privately printed)
Wright, A, 1940b, The church bells of Monmouthshire v, Archaeol Cambrensis, 95, 229-42
Evans 1997 GGAT 51 Historic Churches Project

Sources :
Evans, E M , 1997 , Gwent Historic Churches Survey: Churches in the Diocese of Monmouth, Deanery of Netherwent
Evans, E M , 2003 , Early Medieval Ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales: Desk based assessment
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
05/PM List/Cadw/1995/Listed Buildings Lists
06/PM Desc Text/Perry M/The Historic Village of Undy
03/MM Record Card/OS/1957/ST 48 NW 11
02/PM Desc Text/Bradney JA/1932/Hist of Monm/V4 pt2 p263
04/PM Mention/Birbeck T/1978/Chepstow Soc/Caldicot & District Old Houses & Families
01/PM Map/Rees W/1932/S Wales & Border in 14th C/SE Sheet
Evans EM, 2003-04, GGAT 73 Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project
EM Evans (1998) GGAT 51/81 Welsh Historic Churches Survey: Glamorgan and Gwent

Events :
E001386 : Early medieval ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales desk based assessment (year : 2003)
E003923 : The M4 Relief Road (year : 1993)
E006735 : Land at the Former Tythe House, Church Road, Undy, Monmouthshire (year : 2020)
E008773 : GGAT52: Monmouthshire Historic Settlements, Caldicot & Raglan (year : 1999)

Related records
Church in Wales Reference No. 5013 https://churchheritagecymru.org.uk/CHR/ChurchDetails.aspx?id=4177

Compiled date : 12-03-2004


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