History in Structure

Church of St Martin

A Grade I Listed Building in Crucorney (Crucornau Fawr), Monmouthshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.9043 / 51°54'15"N

Longitude: -3.0202 / 3°1'12"W

OS Eastings: 329905

OS Northings: 223354

OS Grid: SO299233

Mapcode National: GBR F5.Q9GB

Mapcode Global: VH78T.LDPH

Plus Code: 9C3RWX3H+PW

Entry Name: Church of St Martin

Listing Date: 9 January 1956

Last Amended: 29 January 1998

Grade: I

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 1933

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: Church of St Martin, Cwmyoy
St Martin's Church, Cwmyoy

ID on this website: 300001933

Location: In the centre of Cwmyoy village on the east slope of the Vale of Ewyas. It stands in a churchyard with a fine collection of well cut memorials.

County: Monmouthshire

Town: Abergavenny

Community: Crucorney (Crucornau Fawr)

Community: Crucorney

Locality: Cwmyoy

Traditional County: Monmouthshire

Tagged with: Church building English Gothic architecture

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Llanvihangel Crucorney

History

The masonry is largely undatable and most of the features have been replaced but the church appears to originate in the C12 with the arched north west window of the nave being the oldest feature. The chancel appears to be later than the nave, as is the porch. The rood beam and stair are probably C15-C16. The tower is medieval. Restorations are recorded of 1887 by J James Spencer, and 1991 by Hook Mason. Frequent repairs have been necessary because of the ground instability and some of these are dated. The church was under Llanthony Priory until the Dissolution in 1538. It became a Vicarage in 1830 and a part of the larger parish of Llanvihangel Crucorney in 1969. In 1844 it was transferred from the Diocese of St Davids to Llandaff, and in 1921 to Monmouth.

Exterior

Constructed in local fine grained red/grey sandstone coursed rubble, with stone tiled roofs which were renewed in 1887. The walling is medieval with considerable repairs and rebuilding as a result of ground instability. The church consists of nave, chancel, south porch and west tower with external stair turret. The church is heavily buttressed, with three stepped ones to each side of the nave and one to the south wall of the chancel, and large flying buttresses to the tower, these are all Victorian additions. The nave has three windows in either wall, three identical 2-light Decorated ones which are Victorian; the north west one which is C12-C13; the south east one which is C13-C14; and the 3-light middle window of the south wall which is probably C16. The porch is of uncertain date, it is later than the nave wall with which it has a straight joint, and is older than the C19. It has a probably rebuilt pointed head to the entrance. The chancel appears to have been built separately from the nave. It has a small pointed window on either flank wall and a 2-light east window with cusped heads, this may be C14. The tower is medieval, it is twisted and leans at a considerable angle towards the south west. It is carefully built of snecked rubble with long and short quoins. It has three stages with a drip course separating the first and the second. The ground stage has a Victorian window on the west face, the second has only one small window, the third has large belfry openings with elliptical heads, two have been enlarged. The tower is topped by a castellated parapet.

Interior

The interior is very remarkable for the movement it has suffered as a result of the instability of the foundations; the floor is every uneven, all the walls are out of square and the roof is twisted. The walls are plastered and whitewashed, and there are four inserted tiebeams which were probably added in the C16 or C17. The tower arch is very low and appears early; the chancel arch is very plain and appears to have been rebuilt. The roof is of close set scissor brace trusses with the sarking renewed in 1887. The pews and pulpit are 1887, the font is C12, the communion rails are late C17 or early C18 with turned balusters. There are many good engraved memorials on the walls. There are six bells, all dated, 1700, 1672, 1722, 1697, 1700, 1722. A c300 year old set all so close in date is a rarity.

Reasons for Listing

Highly graded as a medieval church with an interesting history, distinctive historic character and fine fittings.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Cross in St Martin's Churchyard
    10m south of the porch of the Church of St Martin.
  • II Tomb of Daniel (Chandler?) at Church of St Martin
    About 20 m east of the chancel of the Church of St Martin.
  • II Ty Charles
    About 600 metres NE of Cwmyoy church, reached by track which begins at Pen-y-Wern.
  • II* Ty-Hwnt-y-Bwlch Farmhouse
    Impressively sited on steeply sloping ground uphill from Cwmyoy Church on the eastern slopes of the Vale of Ewyas; reached via a track from Penywern Farm. Retains stone forecourt wall and boundary wa
  • II Stables at Ty-Hwnt-y-Bwlch Farm
    Set into slope immediately opposite the farmhouse and within its forecourt. The farm lies approximately 1km uphill from Cwmyoy Church on the eastern slopes of the Vale of Ewyas; reached via a track f
  • II Barn at Ty-Hwnt-y-Bwlch Farm
    Set into the steep slope to north-east and downhill from Ty Hwnt-y-Bwlch Farmhouse. The farm lies approximately 1km uphill from Cwmyoy Church on the eastern slopes of the Vale of Ewyas; reached via
  • II Pen-yr-Heol Farmhouse
    Elevated site on the western side of the Vale of Ewyas opposite Cwmyoy; reached by a track off the by-road that runs up the valley from Llanvihangel Crucorney. Set in the slope with rubble walled fore
  • II Outhouse/Detached Kitchen at Coed Farm
    About 10m west of Coed Farmhouse.

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