The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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St. Peter's Church, Henllys

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 05013g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Henllys
Unitary authority : Torfaen
NGR : ST26769104
Site Type (preferred type first) : Unknown Church
Status : Listed Building II*

Summary :
The first mention of Henllys is in 1230-40. The church consists of nave; separate, weeping chancel; W tower; and S porch. Although none of the datable openings is earlier than the 15th/16th century, the long walls appear to be earlier. There are also post-medieval vernacular openings. he main Victorian campaign of restoration was in 1872.

Description :
The first mention of Henllys is in 1230-40 (Brook 1988, 78). The churchyard is quadrangular with a curved SW corner. Although it is now isolated apart from a couple of neighbouring houses, there appear to be earthworks (not previously recorded) in the field to the W.

The church consists of nave; separate, weeping chancel; W tower; and S porch. Guest (1990, 34) notes that the plastered offset visible above the chancel arch is in fact an oak beam, and suggests that it may be the rood beam; no other evidence survives for a rood loft or screen. It is constructed of coursed rubble in local coarse red sandstones and conglomerates of the St Maughans group (Old Red Sandstone); coarse grey and yellow sandstones are used for the dressings. Coarse sandy yellow limestone (`Bath stone'), not always readily distinguishable from the yellow sandstone, is used for the dressings of some of the openings. The fabric of the chancel is mainly in narrow blocks fine-grained sandstone, but the rest is largely in coarse sandstone grading into conglomerate

Although none of the datable openings is earlier than the 15th/16th century, the internal batter of the long walls of the nave and (to a lesser extent) the chancel suggests that the fabric is earlier. The vertical offset on the N wall of the nave suggests that the nave has been lengthened, the addition probably being the western two-thirds which has no external batter. The use of different masonry in the chancel would seem to indicate that it is of a different period of construction from the nave, especially given the irregular shape of the chancel arch which appears to have been cut through the intervening wall, as far as can be ascertained in the face of the plaster which completely covers it. The tower is also of two periods of construction, the junction between the two occurring approximately two-thirds of the way up the lower stage, at the height of the springing of the head of the W window. This window, which is identical with the E window, may be slightly earlier than the belfry windows. If it and the W door beneath were part of the original structure of the tower, this must have been taller than the lower section of masonry now suggests. These E and W windows, the belfry window and the S window of the chancel are all Perpendicular in style; the now-blocked priest's door is of similar style, but appears to be a Victorian reconstruction. The relative heights of the base of this door and the present floor of the chancel shows that the floor of the chancel has been raised considerably, and it was probably originally lower than that of the nave, as at Llanover and Mamhilad. The NE and SW windows of the nave are of 17th century date, and the other windows of the nave probably of early 19th century date.

The main Victorian campaign of restoration was in 1872, but few details survive (Guest 1990, 10), though it did include the complete refitting of the interior to designs by E A Lansdowne (ex inf J Newman). The roof was restored in 1951, when the original sandstone slates were replaced by metamorphic slate (Guest 1990, 12, 42). A further restoration in 1990-91 involved the SW window of the nave and the W window of the tower (Guest 1990, 13). The church contains an early font. Traces of medieval wall painting survive in the chancel, but more seems to have been destroyed when the chancel was restored in the 1970s (Guest 1990, 13). Otherwise the fittings are all Victorian or later

Wright (1938a, 68-9) notes three bells, one medieval with lettering of 14th century date, and the others dated 1656 and 1711.

References:
Bradney, J A, 1993, A history of Monmouthshire. Vol V, The Hundred of Newport (ed M Grey), 127
Brook, D, 1988, The early Christian church in Gwent, Monmouthshire Antiq 5, 67-84
Evans, J D, 1988, The churchyard yews of Gwent, 65, 154
Guest, S Ll, 1990, St Peter's Church, Henllys: A history and guide. Privately printed
Wright, A, 1938a, The church bells of Monmouthshire ii, Archaeol Cambrensis, 93, 57-74 (68-9)
Evans 1997 GGAT 51 Historic Churches Project

Grade II* listed church first recorded in 13th century with 14th and 15th century fabric (Procter 2018). Associated with Llantarnam Abbey.

Sources :
Evans, E M , 1997 , Gwent Historic Churches Survey: Churches in the Diocese of Monmouth, Archdeaconry of Newport
Evans, E M , 2003 , Early Medieval Ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales: Desk based assessment
Lawler M , 1994 , New Main, Pant-yr-Eos, Henllys, Gwent, Archaeological Watching Brief ( © GGAT)
Maynard, D. J. , 1994 , Archaeological Appraisal New Main, Pant-Yr-Eos, Henllys, Gwent ( © GGAT)
Procter, E. , 2018 , The topographical legacy of the medieval monastery: evolving perceptions and realities of monastic landscapes in the southern Welsh Marches
Uplands Survey Gwent Project no.
Evans EM, 2003-04, GGAT 73 Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project
EM Evans (1998) GGAT 51/81 Welsh Historic Churches Survey: Glamorgan and Gwent
01/PM DESC TEXT/GGAT/1997/Uplands Survey Gwent Project no. CUR 1; Report no. 97/005

Events :
E001386 : Early medieval ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales desk based assessment (year : 2003)
E003834 : New Main, Pant-Yr-Eos, Henllys, Gwent (year : 1994)
E003835 : New Main, Pant-yr-Eos, Henllys, Gwent (year : 1994)

Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00142g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00144g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00145g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00151g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00152g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 03702g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 03703g
Church in Wales Reference No. 5192 https://churchheritagecymru.org.uk/CHR/ChurchDetails.aspx?id=4231
National Monuments Record NPRN 310433 https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/310433/details/st-peters-church-henllys
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00624g

Compiled date : 12-03-2004


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