The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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St. Martins Church, Cwmyoy

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 01715g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Crucorney
Unitary authority : Monmouthshire
NGR : SO29922335
Site Type (preferred type first) : Medieval Church
Status : listed building I

Summary :
The parish of Cwmyoy is mentioned in 1291.
The church consists of nave; separate, weeping chancell; W tower with stair turret; S porch; rood stair. A wide range of architectural periods are represented, indicating constant changes and additions. A major phases of restoration took place in 1887. The churches has suffered considerable from movement caused by the instability of the underlying geology.

Description :
The parish of Cwmyoy is mentioned in 1291 (Davies 1953, table following p114). The churchyard is polygonal and has been partly terraced into the hillside, although it still retains a steep slope. The churchyard cross survives. This church has been surveyed by RCAHMW (1990).

The church consists of nave; separate, weeping chancel with rood stair against its northern wall; W tower with separate, secondary stair turret; and S porch. It is constructed in local fine-grained red/grey sandstone (Old Red Sandstone). It has suffered considerably from ground movement, which has caused major instabilities and has necessitated the provision of buttresses in the 19th century, as well as less drastic repairs. For this reason, variations in the local sandstone coursed rubble of which it is composed cannot usually be regarded as constituting evidence for different periods; and in any case, the fabric is so patched that it is not possible to trace any particular style of rubblework across the building. It does seem however, that from the difference in alignment between the nave and chancel, that they were constructed at different periods. The varying styles of the openings show that there has been constant changes and additions, but no major phases of intervention can be traced other than in the 19th century, at which period a restoration taking place in 1887 is attested by a tablet on the S wall of the nave. This tablet also records another restoration in 1991, and dates of 1981 and 1990 have been placed on specific repairs to the masonry.

The chancel arch and tower arch both lack dressings, possibly casualties of ground movement, but the lowness of the 2-centred tower arch, now lopsided, may suggest an early date. Otherwise, the earliest identifiable work is in the NW window of the nave, dated by RCAHMW to 12th-13th century. The SE window of the nave appears slightly later and is probably of 13th-14th century date, and RCAHMW dates the nave roof to the same timespan. The E window of the nave is probably 14th century. There are two datable features connected with the rood loft: a beam dated 15th-16th century has been inserted across the rear arch of the SE window of the nave, probably to carry the rood beam (RCAHMW 1990); and the door to the rood stair (which can be seen to be an addition to the chancel from the straight joint between the masonry of the two) can be dated 16th-17th century. It is possible that the two were inserted in a single phase of work in the 16th century, but it is also possible that they were part of a series of unconnected works carried out on the rood stair and screen over a long period of time. Also probably of 16th date are the middle window in the S wall of the nave and the N window of the chancel, whilst the cross-beams which were put in to strengthen the roof of the nave could be of this date or of the following century. The Victorian restoration was responsible for the three identical windows in the nave, one on the S wall and two on the N; and also probably for the renewal of the ground floor window on the W wall of the tower. There are no datable features on the rest of the tower, as most of the windows are plain rectangular or slits, and there are no clues to the enlargement of two of the windows on the belfry stage; one of these seems to employ reused material. There are no datable features in the porch either, beyond that it is secondary to the nave with which it has straight joints

The church has an early font, and a later medieval stone-carved crucifixion is displayed in the nave. The altar rails are 17th century. Three plaster reliefs of unknown date and provenance have been built into the inside faces of the porch walls. Monumenents are largely as Bradney. Wright (1938a, 59), noted six bells, dated 1672, 1697, two of 1700 and two of 1722.

References:

Unpublished
RCAHMW, 1990, Typescript survey report initialled by A J Parkinson

Published:
Bradney, J A, 1906, A history of Monmouthshire. Vol 1 pt iia, The Hundred of Abergavenny, 236-9
Davies, E T,1953, An ecclesiastical history of Monmouth. Risca
Evans, J D, 1988, The churchyard yews of Gwent, 66, 153
Wright, A, 1938a, The church bells of Monmouthshire ii, Archaeol Cambrensis, 93, 57-74 (59)
Evans 1997 GGAT 51 Historic Churches Project.

Parish church for Cwmyoy manor. Grade I listed with medieval tower and other 12th century features and medieval churchyard cross (Procter 2018). Part of Cwmyoy Manor and associated with Llanthony Priory.

Sources :
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
Procter, E. , 2018 , The topographical legacy of the medieval monastery: evolving perceptions and realities of monastic landscapes in the southern Welsh Marches
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
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)

Related records
Church in Wales Reference No. 132 https://churchheritagecymru.org.uk/CHR/ChurchDetails.aspx?id=2976
National Monuments Record NPRN 222006 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/222006/details/st-martins-church-cwmyoy
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01720g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 12302g

Compiled date : 12-03-2004


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