St Mary's Church, Tregare
The Church of St Mary at Tregare, Monmouthshire, south east Wales, is the parish church of the village of Tregare. Dating originally from the fourteenth century, the tower is later, probably of the fifteenth century. The church was restored in the early twentieth century. Built in the Decorated style, the church is a Grade II* listed building.
| Church of St Mary, Tregare, Monmouthshire | |
|---|---|
 "a medieval country church of simple architectural character" | |
  Church of St Mary, Tregare, Monmouthshire Location in Monmouthshire | |
| 51.7874°N 2.8443°W | |
| Location | Tregare, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 27 September 2001 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Decorated Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Monmouth |
| Parish | Rockfield with St Maughans and Llangattock-vibon-Avel with Llanfihangel-ystern-Llewern with Dingestow with Llangovan and Penyclawdd with Tregaer with Cwmcarvan |
History and architecture
The Monmouthshire antiquarian Sir Joseph Bradney records the gift of the advowson of Tregare from "John de Hastings to the see of Llandaff" in 1285.[1] The present church dates from the 14th century,[2] the style a mixture of Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular.[3] The church is built of sandstone rubble, with slate roofs.[2] It comprises a small nave, an "unusual" [4] South porch, a chancel and a West tower, of slightly later date than the church.[2] The tower, with a pyramid roof [4] and cockerel weathervane, is a notable feature.[3] The church was restored by the Cardiff-based architect G.E.Halliday[5] in 1900.[4]
The interior contains an original font, decorated with hearts enclosing IHS symbols, described by the architectural historian John Newman as "a most remarkable 15th century conceit."[4] The church's Grade II* listing entry describes it as "a small medieval country church of simple architectural character".[2]
Notes
- Bradney 1992, p. 82.
- Cadw. "Church of St Mary, Tregare (Grade II*) (25787)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- "St Mary, Tregare (307441)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- Newman 2000, p. 573-4.
- "G. E. Halliday. (1858-1922) : Stained Glass in Wales". Stainedglass.llgc.org.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
References
- Bradney, Joseph (1992). A History of Monmouthshire: The Hundred of Raglan, Volume 2 Part 1. Academy Books. ISBN 1-873361-15-7.
- Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.