The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Llanfrechfa lies on the B4236 5km south east of Cwmbran and a similar distance north west of Caerleon. The church is on the north east side of the settlement 300m east of the junction between the main road and Church Road.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 171 Cadw Listing Notice 3142
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
Anglican parish church, late medieval W tower with part of nave W end and S porch. The rest rebuilt to a larger scale in 1873-4 by Charles Buckeridge for the Mitchell family of Llanfrechfa Grange. Buckeridge died in 1873 and the work was completed under John L. Pearson. Nave, chancel, N aisle and NE vestry. The tower of squared blocks is similar to Llantarnam church tower. The Perp style windows of the N aisle are said to be reused from old church, but look C19.
Reference: Cadw Listed Building description.
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
Anglican parish church, the C19 parts of coursed squared purple rubble stone with Bath stone dressings and plain tile roofs, the medieval tower and lower part of the W wall of big squared pale purple sandstone blocks and the porch of local brown rubble stone. Tower has battered base and 3 stages with 4 moulded courses, the top one with corner rainwater spouts under crenellated parapet. Square NE stair tower. Base moulding is broken for pointed W door with hollow moulding between 2 wave mouldings, in red stone and with stone voussoirs. Plank door with cover strips and iron hinges. Immediately over is renewed recessed flat-headed 2-light window with cusped lights. Second stage has one very small square recessed vent each side, larger single-light on S. Taller bell stage has small recessed 2-light louvred bell openings, flat headed with ogee-cusped lights. Body of church has coped gables with cross finials, lower chancel, N aisle with catslide roof and big gabled NE organ chamber and vestry. Late Decorated to early Perpendicular Gothic style. Nave S has porch and 3 large pointed 2-light windows with varied tracery, hoodmoulds and sill course, carried around stepped buttress at right end, quoins at left end. Porch has rubble side walls, coped gable, and C19 front with moulded pointed entry. Within is late medieval barrel roof of 3x6 panels and wall plate with triple-roll moulding. Stone benches, small single light window each side and plain chamfered pointed S doorway with pyramid stop and plank door. N aisle has 4 flat-headed windows with cusped ogee tracery, 3 two-light and one 3-light, and one similar single light to aisle W end. No hoodmoulds. A small windowless projection at right end of aisle (containing pump for immersion font) has ashlar quoins. Chancel has battered base, three large square-headed 2-light S windows with cusped reticulated tracery and deep hoodmoulds. The first window is longer and sill course steps up before second window. E end has quoins above plinth level, high string course and 3-light E window set higher with cusped panel tracery and ogee heads to lights. Chancel N has string course carried around under one window similar to those on S, then big gabled block with ashlar chimney on ridge close to S end, missing octagonal stack. Coped N gable with 2 flat headed traceried 2-light windows without hoodmoulds, shouldered-headed W door up steps, basement steps.
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
Tall imposing interior with unpainted rendered walls and Bath stone dressings. Roof of 5 main arch-braced collar trusses, and 4 intermediate ones, the main ones carried down lower onto a wall-post. Ashlar 4-bay N arcade with octagonal piers, moulded caps and 2-chamfer pointed arches. Broad high chancel arch with similar detail. Tower E wall has mark of line of lower medieval roof. Segmental-pointed tall tower arch with C20 timber traceried infill. Small segmental-pointed door to stair tower to right. Tower has oak beams to upper floor. N aisle has roof principals similarly carried down as wall posts, and braced from corbels on arcade wall. Left end door to pump for immersion font. N end wall with pointed doorway into choir vestry with oak screen by Clarke of Llandaff. Long chancel with two steps at chancel arch, one to sanctuary, four to altar. Chancel roof of 4 main trusses and 3 intermediate, moulded, with panelling only in last bay over sanctuary. Large segmental-pointed N opening with organ, hoodmould carried around as string course, and shouldered-arched vestry door to right. S side has ogee cusped piscina with carved spandrels and hoodmould over, enclosing tiny medieval ogee stone piscina with moulded shelf. Fine triple sedilia with stepped seats and ogee cusped heads with deep hoodmould with portrait heads of vicar and Bishop Oliphant. Traceried tiny openings in piers between the seats. Floor tiles by Godwin of Lugwardine with unusual glazed green outlining tiles. Vestry parallel with organ chamber with high 3-sided board ceiling, piscina by door and choir vestry across N end with shouldered-headed doorway. Big ashlar segmental-pointed arch between 2 parallel roofs. Fittings Fine large openwork screen of 1874, 3-1-3 bays with ogee heads to lights and much open tracery above the side lights, brattished beam. Three figures carved in Oberammergau added above, formerly in Llanfrechfa Grange chapel. Large carved stone reredos with carved relief of Last Supper by James Redfern, 1874, in 3 panels with brattished ballflower cornice and blind-panelled base on two purple marble steps. Octagonal font with cusped quatrefoils on each face, doves in 4 of quatrefoils. Large total immersion font in NW corner in altar-table casing, three quatrefoil panels and four blind traceried panels on front and wooden lid. Oak pulpit with panelled openwork Gothic 3-sided front and moulded ashlar base with steps up. Brass eagle lectern to Mitchell family, after 1913. Pine pews, oak stalls with poppyhead finials and added open-fronted front kneelers. C20 oak altar rails. Oak altar with white marble top. Stained Glass: E window 1874 by Clayton & Bell and also 3 S windows by same firm, all described in 1874 though death dates are later. E window of Christ in glory with St Peter, Isaiah, SS Alban and Helena, and Evangelists symbols in tracery, to F. Mitchell died 1863, blue ground with rich reds. S first (from right) of Resurrection and Christ in the garden to Rev. W. Powell died 1874, second of Christ with St Thomas and appearing to the fishermen to Jane Griffith of Llanyrafon died 1880 and third of Ascension and Vision of St John to Florence Griffith of Llanyrafon died 1886, the three with alternate red and blue backgrounds. Chancel N 2-light by George Rogers of Worcester to Frances Prothero died 1847 and Capt R. Macdonald died 1854, two small scenes Noli me Tangere and Suffer the children (probably removed from previous church). Nave S first window of Boy Christ between two saints, 1916, by Daniells & Fricker of Fulham to John Williams, two windows by Lavers & Westlake, one the Good Shepherd and Sower to F.H. Mitchell died 1891, the other Crucifixion and Healing the Lame to Laura Mitchell died 1884, good quality C14 style. N aisle W single light Christ with a child, to W.S.F. Cleeve died 1895, by Lavers & Westlake. N aisle second to Corporal D. Denbury died 1991 by Sunlight Studios, Portsmouth, with daffodils, angel and dragon, third window by William Pearce Ltd of Birmingham, Christ and St Martin to Major Edmund Willimas, killed 1915, good colours. N aisle fourth SS Francis, Elizabeth and David, 1914, by Kempe & Co. Memorials: Charles Griffiths of Llanyrafon died 1696 and Margaret Griffiths died 1730, plaque in egg-and-dart ornamented bolection-moulded frame. Charles Griffith of Llanyrafon died 1766, two sons, and Margaret Tuder died 1769, oval plaque. Roger Jones died 1804, crude broken pedimented memorial with column shafts and oval plaque. William Griffith of Llanyrafon, died 1831, neo-Grec by Cooke of Gloucester. Marble and alabaster bolection-moulded plaque to F.J. Mitchell died 1913.
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.