Church of the Holy Trinity, Caerleon, Newport

History

The church in origin appears to be Norman, with the south door surviving from the C12, although it may be reset, while the chancel is Early English, of which part of the walls and the base of the east window survive. The base of the tower is also Early English/C13, but the external walling of the church is mostly of the late medieval Perpendicular period, as is the top of the tower, and it was this building which was given a, probably fairly thorough, restoration by J P Seddon in 1864. The church then suffered a serious fire in 1877 which led to immediate repairs and then another restoration in 1881, probably also by Seddon who remained the Diocesan architect. The church was again burnt in 1949 when everything was destroyed except the walls, the tower and the south porch; and it was again restored 1949-55 by G G Pace, leaving the exterior much as it was before, but the interior entirely new and with all the roofs reconstructed except that of the south porch.

Exterior

The church is mainly built in local fine-grained red sandstone rubble of a rather purplish colour, though fine grained grey limestone is also used, especially in the west wall of the nave and the tower, which are clearly of different construction from the rest of the building, red tiled roofs. The upper part of most of the walls and around the windows were rebuilt after the 1949 fire in rock faced blocks of distinctive bright red sandstone laid in snecked courses. This masonry was also used for the slight eastward extension of the north porch/vestry and was presumably made deliberately distinctive. The dressings are mainly in Bath limestone and these date from the Victorian restoration, surviving medieval ones are in sandstone and conglomerate.
The church consists of nave, separate non-aligned chancel which is wider than the nave, nave aisles and chancel aisles (chapels) on both north and south sides (now the boiler room), a massive tower at the west end of the south aisle with no external turret, north (now clergy vestry) and south porches, and a rood stair to the north of the north aisle.
From the south west corner. The tower abuts and completely covers the west gable of the south aisle. The south wall has four bays with an additional two for the chancel chapel, which has a break in the walling but not the roof, the final bay, which is an extension beyond a straight joint, this was done in the C18 as a mortuary chapel and is now the boiler house, is blind. Next to the tower is a 2-light window with cusped heads. Next comes the deeply projecting south porch with a plain pointed arch, coped gable, and blind returns. The C16 waggon roof of this survived both fires, later Norman door of one chevron order and scallop capitals. The aisle then has two 3-light windows with stepped cusped heads and the chapel has a third one, all these windows are Seddon restorations of Perpendicular originals. The east gable of the boiler room has a square-headed doorway with a dripmould, but no window above. The chancel gable has a very large 5-light Perpendicular window with the remains of the Early English triple lancet which preceded it below. This was revealed in the Victorian restoration. The window is a Seddon one, but was reconstructed by Pace, as were all three of the gables at the east end. The chancel roof is more steeply pitched than the others and there is a large stone and brick stack for the boiler room in the valley between it and the south chapel. The north chapel is set back from the line of the chancel gable and the chancel has a plain C13 lancet on the south return. The east gable of the north chapel has a 3-light window as on the south aisle. On the north wall the chapel has one 3-light window with two more to the aisle and then the gabled north porch, similar to the south one but with a plain 4-light window on the east return, this is by Pace and is a part of the conversion of the porch to a vestry. No window to the right of this, nor on the west aisle gable where one has been blocked. This gable was not rebuilt post fire, but that of the nave was, it contains a large 4-light Perpendicular window, again a Pace rebuilding of a Seddon one. Below this is a C16 doorway with a 3-centred arch. Finally the tower which is very massive and has two stages, the first being very tall, above the ridge of the nave. This lower stage is mostly grey stone with red quoins. The north face has a lancet at high level, the south face has three rectangular stair windows and each face has a small pointed window right at the top for the first belfry. A string course supports the slightly diminished upper stage which is almost all red stone. The upper stage is Perpendicular and is probably early C16. It has a 2-light bell opening in the east and west faces and a 3-light one in the north and south faces; these appear to be medieval. Machicolations, and a plain tall parapet which may have been rebuilt at some time, rise above. A tall and extremely impressive tower giving a wide view from its dominant position in the landscape.

Good C18 and C19 monuments to the churchyard of which two are individually listed.

Interior

The interior was completely reconstructed after the 1949 fire as much of the stonework was too badly calcined to be reusable. The arcades repeat the same pattern as before and are said to to be the previous ones encased in concrete. They have plain square bases rising to sharply pointed arches. All the walls are plastered and painted. All the furnishings are post fire and most are to a co-ordinated design by Pace, especially those in the sanctuary. The organ comes from All Saints Church, Corn Street, Bristol. The east window by Harry J Stammers is a dramatic example of 1950s glass. There are two bells which are dated 1661, although there is sufficient space for a full peal.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a basically medieval church, with a very fine tower which is an important landscape feature in the lower Usk valley.

External Links

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