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The Parish Church of St Michael's & All Angels is a
In the 16th century, the poet Sawnder Sion, also known as the "Lion of Llantarnam", of Llantarnam Abbey was buried beneath the choir in the church, witnessed by Dafydd Benwyn, another poet and friend of Sion who wrote a poem mentioning the bed "In the choir of St Michael". During the "
Official St Michael's Church Llantarnam website
Grade II* listed churches in Torfaen Grade II* listed Roman Catholic churches in Wales St Michael's Church, Llantarnam Cwmbran
Grade II* listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
parish church in Llantarnam
Llantarnam ( cy, Llanfihangel Llantarnam) is a suburban village of Cwmbran, and is a community and electoral ward in the county borough of Torfaen in south east Wales. The ward covers the same area as the community, but also includes Southvill ...
, near Cwmbran
Cwmbran ( ; cy, Cwmbrân , also in use as an alternative spelling in English) is a town in the county borough of Torfaen in South Wales.
Lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbran was designated as a New Town in 1949 to pr ...
, Torfaen
Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south- ...
, Wales.
History
The church was built in the early 12th century on the site of an earlier building, possibly the ancient chapel of St Aaron that was known to have existed as a private chapel for the nearbyLlantarnam Abbey
Llantarnam Abbey is a Grade II*-listed abbey of the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy and a former Cistercian monastery located in Llantarnam, Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen in southeast Wales.
History
It was founded as a daughter house ...
. The church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary & Mary Magdalene, on her feast day, 22 July 1179. The church was also referred to the Monastery of Deuma throughout much of its history. In the 15th century significant alterations were made to the church and major reconstruction commenced, with the eastern wing renovated. Larger windows were installed at this time to provide more light to the aisles. A north chapel, believed to have been built using Italian marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorpho ...
altar reredo
A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images.
The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
s from Llantarnam Abbey, was erected, and was later referred to in 1535 as the "chapel of St Michael near the monastery". The tower is of the Tudor architectural style, built of two stages in local stone, and the chancel arcade and stone arches in the early Renaissance shape appear to have been added in the early 16th century.John Newman, ''The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire'', Penguin Books, 2000, , p.401
In the 16th century, the poet Sawnder Sion, also known as the "Lion of Llantarnam", of Llantarnam Abbey was buried beneath the choir in the church, witnessed by Dafydd Benwyn, another poet and friend of Sion who wrote a poem mentioning the bed "In the choir of St Michael". During the "Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate ...
", on Sunday 17 November 1678, John Arnold of Monmouthshire
John Arnold, widely known as John Arnold of Monmouthshire ( – 1702), was a Welsh Protestant politician and Whig MP. He was one of the most prominent people in Monmouthshire in the late 17th century. A stark anti- Catholic, he was a notable ...
captured Father David Lewis, also known as Charles Baker, at St Michael's Church where he was preaching; he was later executed. The register of the church dates to 1727, when it is recorded that the church was a vicarage and "net yearly value £108, with 21 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Bishop of Llandaff
The Bishop of Llandaff is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff.
Area of authority
The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The bishop's seat is in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (the site of a ...
".
The church was renovated in 1869–70 by the architect E. A. Lansdowne. A 6-acre cemetery was added in 1892, costing £3,100. In 1921, the church was again renovated, this time with significant changes to the walls by removing the plasterwork. A number of fine mediaeval murals were uncovered during the renovation, amongst them Elijah
Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My God is Yahweh/ YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) was, according to the Books ...
in the wilderness, John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
and a depiction of a mediaeval priest.
References
{{ReflistExternal links
Official St Michael's Church Llantarnam website
Grade II* listed churches in Torfaen Grade II* listed Roman Catholic churches in Wales St Michael's Church, Llantarnam Cwmbran