The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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St. Mabli's Church, Llanfapley

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 01309g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Llanarth
Unitary authority : Monmouthshire
NGR : SO3667914088
Site Type (preferred type first) : Early Medieval Church
Status : listed building II*

Summary :
Llanfapley church is first mentioned in c 860, and has a unique Celtic dedication. The church consists of nave, separate chancel, W tower, S porch, rood stair and vestry. The earliest surviving architectural features are Early English, and there is a Perpendicular nave and alterations to the tower and possibly the porch. At some stage an extensive but sympathetic restoration was carried out.

Description :
Llanfapley church is first mentioned in c 860, and has a unique Celtic dedication (Brook 1988, 70, 73, 81). It has a quadrangular churchyard, raised above the surrounding area, with no traces of burials on the N side. The cross still survives to the S of the church. The church consists of nave, separate chancel on the same alignment; W tower; S porch; rood stair against N wall of nave; Victorian vestry against N wall of chancel. The S wall of the chancel is on the same line as the nave wall, the nave wall being carefully bonded into the chancel wall, though the two are clearly of different construction. The N wall of the chancel is very slightly further N than the N wall of the nave, making the chancel the wider of the two. The rood stair on the north side of the nave is echoed by the bay in its S wall, which is rather wider. At the time of the field visit, the basement of tower was locked; it is described from a limited view through cracks in the screen.

The church is constructed from the local Old Red Sandstone for both the main fabric of the walls, where it is supplemented by small river-boulders, and for the openings. The rubblework used in the walls is obscured by pointing, which covers the surfaces of the blocks at their edge, and is further overlaid by regular lines of ribbon pointing designed to give an illusion of ashlar. The extent to which the detail is obscured varies from wall to wall. It is however possible to identify three different styles of rubblework: (1) coursed rubble in red/grey fine-grained sandstone, some coarse red sandstone and occasional small river bounders; (2) coursed rubble of fine-grained red sandstone cut into narrower blocks than those of the first style; (3) similar to the second, but with the blocks cut even narrower. The first is used in the chancel and the main part of the tower, excluding the top stage; the second is used in the nave, and the third in the rood stair. The top stage of the tower is built in either the second or the third: the nature of the pointing makes it difficult to be certain, though the third seems more likely at the point which it can be most clearly seen, i.e. the E wall of the tower, including the section between the two early creasing's. The porch is more difficult to assess, as much of the masonry cannot be seen because of the pointing, but probably includes types 1 and either 2 or 3.

The dressings of the windows in the nave are of fine-grained red sandstone, but it is difficult to determine the type of sandstone used on the chancel and tower arches and rood-stair doorways. All the dressings in the chancel, both those round the windows and the quoins, display very crisp tool marks; it seems that they were entirely replaced during restoration, though the rather irregular nature of the opening (uprights not exactly parallel) suggests that the fabric of the wall is original. Dressings of the same character were used around the 1st floor window in the W wall of the tower, which Glynn (1902, 92) describes as `modern' in a note dated 1861. It should be noted that in his visit of 1949 Kay records the E window as `a curious triplet with plate tracery above', and on his second, in 1962, as `curiously altered from a triple lancet to a 2-light window with a circular light above' (Kay unpub, 2 ser i 46; v, 1146). Evans (1953, 379) also notes that a central light of three `s now built in; no evidence is now visible for such an alteration.

Suggested building history is as follows:
- Construction of Early English chancel; probably also tower. Main S door could also be of this period; possibly in an earlier S nave wall characterised by the use of very large and relatively neatly cut blocks in the batter (unless this is a later refacing. Nave roof of this phase is probably the one marked by the lower of the two creases.
- Nave rebuilt as Perpendicular, probably with the roof marked by the upper of the two creases; tower heightened by one stage and partly refaced: W door may have been added. Porch partly rebuilt.
- Rood stair probably added very slightly later, unless supply of stone for rubble changed during construction work. If the roof had not been raised before, it would probably have to be done now, to allow space for the rood loft.
- A campaign of repairs to the roof and walls, and the refitting of the interior, carried out in 1861 (ex inf J Newman).
- At some stage an extensive but sympathetic restoration was carried out, involving renewal of all dressings in chancel and insertion of window with Y-tracery in tower. The vestry may have been built at this time, but to different specifications because of the difference in materials (cf Llanarth).
- Restoration of 1909 involved a general overhaul, but obviously no major changes, since plans were not required. The text on the S wall probably dates to this restoration, and possibly some of furniture; though not all that was planned was carried out, since the altar rail and font are much earlier (unless they were brought in from elsewhere).
- Restoration of 1950 involved general renovation and repainting; it may also have involved more radical work on the E window (Kay).

There is an early font, but the other internal fittings are Victorian or later. Monuments are largely as Bradney. Wright noted two bells, both of 1626; there were three in the mid 18th century (Wright 1939, 80-1), but there now appears to be only one in use. St Mapley's Church, a Grade B Listed Building, consists of a nave, separate chancel, west tower, south porch, rood stair against the north wall of the nave and a vestry against the north wall of the chancel. The earliest parts of the church probably date to the 13th century (Locock and Maynard 2015)

References:
Bradney, J A, 1906, A history of Monmouthshire. Vol 1 pt iia, The Hundred of Abergavenny, 298-300
Brook, D, 1988, The early Christian church in Gwent, Monmouthshire Antiq 5, 67-84
Glynne, S R, 1902, Notes on the older churches in the four Welsh dioceses Archaeol Cambrensis 6 ser 2, 81-114
Evans, C J O, 1953, Monmouthshire, its history and topography. Cardiff, 379
Wright, A, 1939, The church bells of Monmouthshire iv, Archaeol Cambrensis, 94, 80-90 (801-1)
Evans 1997 GGAT 51 Historic Churches Project.

Sources :
Bradney, J A , 1906 , A History of Monmouthshire: The Hundred of Abergavenny (pt 2a)
Brook, D , 1988 , The early Christian church in Gwent , Monmouthshire Antiquary : 5 : 67-84
Evans, E M , 1997 , Gwent Historic Churches Survey: Churches in the Diocese of Monmouth, Deanery of Abergavenny
Evans, E M , 2003 , Early Medieval Ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales: Desk based assessment
Glynne, S R , 1902 , Notes on the older churches in the four Welsh dioceses
Locock M and Maynard D J , 1997 , Monmouthshire Historic Settlements An Archaeological Survey Part 1: Hundreds of Abergavenny and Skenfrith
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
Wright, A. , 1939 , The Church Bells of Monmouthshire IV , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 94 : 80-90
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)
E008750 : GGAT52: Monmouthshire Historic Settlements (Part 1), Abergavenny & Skenfrith (year : 1996-1997)

Related records
Church in Wales Reference No. 5136 https://churchheritagecymru.org.uk/CHR/ChurchDetails.aspx?id=4220

Compiled date : 12-03-2004


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