Historic churches and other Christian sites in South Wales

  • A box pew from Llangattock Lingoed (Monmouthshire), dated 1634. It is beautifully carved and would have belonged to one of the wealthier families of the parish
    With the coming of Protestantism, sermons assumed a much more important place in the Sunday service, frequently lasting for hours. It therefore became important for the congregation to have somewhere to sit, and we see the development of box pews. A new scheme to furnish the church with pews was also an opportunity to reinforce the social hierarchy, as all the inhabitants were allocated seating in accordance with their status. This example from Llangattock Lingoed (Monmouthshire), dated 1634, is beautifully carved and would have belonged to one of the wealthier families of the parish.
  • Set of alter rails from Trellech (Monmouthshire). A rare surviving example of an early layout, which enclosed three sides of the altar
    Under Charles I, Archbishop Laud stressed the importance of the communion service, and is associated with the promotion of altar rails. This set from Trellech (Monmouthshire) is a rare surviving example of an early layout, which enclosed three sides of the altar.
  • The little church at Monknash (Vale of Glamorgan) was extensively rebuilt in a more vernacular style. There is a date stone of 1628 built into the porch gable
    The little church at Monknash (Vale of Glamorgan) was extensively rebuilt in a more vernacular style. There is a date stone of 1628 built into the porch gable. From the style of the windows, this date might apply to the whole of the rebuilding work, or it could be considerably later.
  • Most of the church at Mynyddislwyn (Caerphilly) was rebuilt in 1819 in 'churchwarden' style
    Most of the church at Mynyddislwyn (Caerphilly) was rebuilt in 1819 in 'churchwarden' style. It is a rare surviving example, as most examples of this style of architecture were removed by the Victorians, who did not approve of it.
  • The medieval north aisle of St Mary's church at Nash (Newport) was demolished in the 1790, and it was probably at this time that the nave was completely refitted with box pews, a matching three-decker pulpit and a west gallery
    The medieval north aisle of St Mary's church at Nash (Newport) was demolished in the 1790, and it was probably at this time that the nave was completely refitted with box pews, a matching three-decker pulpit and a west gallery. This interior is a remarkable survival of what most churches would have looked like in the 18th century.
  • Neath parish church was rebuilt in 1730, and enlarged by the addition of aisles
    Neath parish church was rebuilt in 1730, and enlarged by the addition of aisles. One of the main people involved the project was local landowner Herbert Mackwork. It is a rare surviving example of a Georgian church. The large diamond-shaped panels on the wall are hatchments. A hatchment was a wooden panel made on the death of a member of a gentry family to display his or her coat of arms outside the house. After the funeral they were moved into the parish church.

Stuart and Georgian Parish Churches

When it comes to discussing the history of church building in Britain, more often than not the 17th and 18th centuries tend to be overlooked. But there is plenty of evidence that people in South Wales went on maintaining their parish churches, giving them a makeover from time to time and sometimes undertaking quite extensive building projects, even though the results were usually less showy than some medieval or Victorian efforts. Some of this work was a reaction to new ways of doing things: for example, a number of churches in Glamorgan rebuilt their towers in the 17th century, possibly as the result of the new fashion of ringing bells mounted on a wheel, which puts much more strain on the fabric than the older method where the bells did not have to be rung so vigorously.

One product of the Reformation, the adoption of the parish as a unit of local government, had become firmly rooted, but the theological disputes were still being worked out. Puritans who wanted an extreme form of Protestantism were in conflict with the moderates. One point of conflict was over having a barrier around the altar to ensure that it would not be treated too casually. Under Charles I, Archbishop Laud promoted the use of altar rails, of which many fine 17th and 18th century examples can be seen in South Wales. Other furnishings that may reflect this conflict are the fonts. Some of those in Monmouthshire have dates that show they were carved after the Restoration, suggesting that the medieval fonts had been destroyed during the Commonwealth by Puritan incumbents who opposed infant baptism. However, both schools of thought approved of long sermons designed to teach the congregation about their faith. Pulpits, and pews where the listeners could sit for long periods at a time, were now standard in all churches, though very few are now left from this period. The churchwardens had the responsibility of allocating pews, which they did according to social hierarchy. This could lead to quarrels if parishioners thought they had been slighted by the new arrangements. More seating was usually provided in a gallery at the west end of the church, of which very few now remain.

When it came to building, much of the new work in country churches was in a plain Tudor style. Dated examples, especially in Glamorgan, show that this style, which is conventionally thought of as being 16th century, continued to be used right up into the middle of the 18th century. By the end of this century, large pointed windows were the norm: this type of architecture would later be derided as 'churchwarden style'. However, from the beginning of the 18th century, rather grander parishes like Chepstow might choose something more fashionably Georgian, and there are even some churches where the architect chose something inspired by the Middle Ages, like St Mary's in Monmouth where we know from documents that the spire was added in 1743 in Gothic style.