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St Martin's Church, Cwmyoy

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restoration by J. James Spencer in 1887 added buttresses to the nave and chancel and flying buttresses to the tower. These efforts sought to stabilise the church rather than to "set (it) straight". Further renovations took place in 1991. St Martin's is known as "the crooked church" due to the extreme
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The preaching cross is a scheduled ancient monument. Amongst the gravestones, a modern example consisting of a roughly hewn purple slate pillar close to the north-west corner of the church is notable. It marks the resting place of the racing driver Arthur Denys Gill (1926–2008), who farmed nearby
311:, Wales, was begun in the 12th century, although most of the current structure dates from the 13th century. The church is most notable for its extreme tilt, the result of a landslide. This has led to many attempts to strengthen the church and prevent its collapse, through the use of massive 768: 367:
over the centuries have caused the tower and chancel to move in opposite directions, twisting the entire structure. The initial landslips must have occurred soon after the original construction as the
410:. The interior is slightly less altered than the exterior, the nave roof dating from the late 13th or early 14th centuries. The unevenness of the structure remains very evident, however, the writer 120: 633: 434:
date to the 17th century. A number of 18th- and 19th-century funeral monuments within the church were constructed by three generations of the Brute family of the distant village of
331:, south porch, and western tower. A round-headed north window dates to the 12th century, and the nave roof has been dated to the late 13th or early 14th century. St Martin's is a 422:
describes the church chancel as an example of a "weeping chancel", where the non-alignment of the nave and chancel axes was deliberate and was intended to represent the body of
503:'s soldiers never came to the church. In 1967 the cross was stolen but was eventually located in a London antique shop after being recognised by the Keeper of Sculpture at the 371:
fabric of the church shows evidence of repairs and rebuilding in attempts to address the instability of the site. The tower is medieval but cannot be dated with certainty. A
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the cross, which bears a rare carving of Christ on the cross, would have stood in the churchyard to be venerated by pilgrims travelling through the Black Mountains, via
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In the nave of the church stands a stone cross, sometimes referred to as a wayside cross or crucifix, dated to the 11th or 12th century. In the
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with stone-tiled roofs. The architectural style is Gothic and the building comprises a nave, chancel, porch and a three-storeyed tower with a
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The church is difficult to date but the North-West window in the nave is the oldest feature, from the 12th century. The underlying
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nature of its non-alignment and has been called "the most crooked in Britain". The church is an active church in the parish of
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The cross is described by the eminent Monmouthshire antiquarian J. M. Lewis in his 2000 article "The Cwmyoy Crucifix" for
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notes that a set of this age with such contiguous dates is "a rarity". However, the bells cannot be rung
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in a storm, with the chancel about to slide overboard". The Monmouthshire writer and artist
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The tower contains a set of six bells dating from 1672, 1697, 1700, 1700, 1722 and 1722.
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is a "remarkable work of craftsmanship". The church's windows are 16th-century and the
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Llanfihangel Crucorney with Oldcastle and Cwmyoy and Llanthony
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the cross was buried in the churchyard for safety, although
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The Church in Wales. 21 October 2015 662: 1230:Welsh Church (Temporalities) Act 1919 1191:Governing Body of the Church in Wales 1055: 988:Wales: Out and About in Monmouthshire 981: 902: 840: 755: 626:"St Martin's Church, Cwmyoy (222006)" 1348:Towers completed in the 13th century 1333:Scheduled monuments in Monmouthshire 590: 40:"The most crooked church in Britain" 1081: 855: 13: 558:Grave of racing driver Arthur Gill 14: 1369: 1235:Welsh Church (Amendment) Act 1938 913:National Historic Assets of Wales 908:"Cwmyoy Churchyard Cross (MM142)" 601:National Historic Assets of Wales 551:after retirement from the sport. 1299: 1010:Wales: Churches, Houses, Castles 57: 50: 34: 949: 927: 896: 871: 849: 834: 809: 534:is held each Sunday at 9.30am. 467: 761: 712: 690: 668: 18:Church in Monmouthshire, Wales 1: 537: 396:The church is constructed of 991:. Newport: R. H. Johns Ltd. 596:"Church of St Martin (1933)" 392:Architecture and description 7: 843:The Monmouthshire Antiquary 512:The Monmouthshire Antiquary 65:Church of St Martin, Cwmyoy 24:Church of St Martin, Cwmyoy 10: 1374: 1217:Welsh Church Commissioners 975: 342: 1293: 1274: 1253: 1245:Marriage (Wales) Act 2010 1204: 1183: 1130: 1089: 935:"Arthur Gill (1926-2008)" 883:www.stteiloschurch.org.uk 517: 287: 282: 272: 262: 252: 240: 235: 225: 217: 209: 201: 196: 184: 176: 166: 161: 149: 141: 127: 113: 79: 71:Location in Monmouthshire 45: 33: 28: 23: 562: 462:Grade I listed building 333:Grade I listed building 319:. The church is in the 1358:Black Mountains, Wales 559: 547: 477: 378:Llanvihangel Crucorney 1283:Book of Common Prayer 1212:Welsh Church Act 1914 937:. Historic Racing.com 557: 545: 475: 490:St David's Cathedral 455:in the proper manner 210:Heritage designation 1138:Archbishop of Wales 1034:Gwent/Monmouthshire 1013:. London: Penguin. 821:www.crucorney.wales 771:. Dove.cccbr.org.uk 676:"St Martin, Cwmyoy" 528:Llantilio Pertholey 359:, and processes of 301:Church of St Martin 94: /  29:Church of St Martin 1168:Swansea and Brecon 1122:Swansea and Brecon 856:Express, Britain. 797:. Megalithic.co.uk 758:, pp. 118–20. 746:, pp. 184–85. 665:, pp. 208–09. 560: 548: 492:in Pembrokeshire. 478: 337:St Martin of Tours 226:Architectural type 98:51.9043°N 3.0202°W 1315: 1314: 1020:978-0-713-99893-1 959:. 500 Owners Club 476:The Cwmyoy Christ 398:Old Red Sandstone 353:Old Red Sandstone 323:style, and has a 297: 296: 202:Functional status 115:OS grid reference 1365: 1306:Wales portal 1304: 1303: 1302: 1076: 1069: 1062: 1053: 1052: 1048: 1024: 1000: 969: 968: 966: 964: 953: 947: 946: 944: 942: 931: 925: 924: 922: 920: 900: 894: 893: 891: 889: 875: 869: 868: 866: 864: 853: 847: 846: 838: 832: 831: 829: 827: 813: 807: 806: 804: 802: 790: 781: 780: 778: 776: 765: 759: 753: 747: 741: 732: 731: 729: 727: 716: 710: 709: 707: 705: 694: 688: 687: 685: 683: 672: 666: 660: 645: 644: 642: 640: 622: 613: 612: 610: 608: 588: 460:The church is a 123: 109: 108: 106: 105: 104: 103:51.9043; -3.0202 99: 95: 92: 91: 90: 87: 61: 60: 54: 38: 21: 20: 1373: 1372: 1368: 1367: 1366: 1364: 1363: 1362: 1353:Inclined towers 1318: 1317: 1316: 1311: 1300: 1298: 1289: 1270: 1249: 1200: 1179: 1126: 1085: 1083:Church in Wales 1080: 1045: 1021: 978: 973: 972: 962: 960: 955: 954: 950: 940: 938: 933: 932: 928: 918: 916: 901: 897: 887: 885: 877: 876: 872: 862: 860: 854: 850: 839: 835: 825: 823: 815: 814: 810: 800: 798: 791: 784: 774: 772: 767: 766: 762: 754: 750: 742: 735: 725: 723: 718: 717: 713: 703: 701: 700:. 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Retrieved 599: 549: 521: 511: 509: 494: 479: 468:Cwmyoy Cross 459: 448: 395: 346: 300: 298: 254:Archdeaconry 197:Architecture 151:Denomination 15: 1205:Legislation 1174:Archdeacons 1158:Saint Asaph 1112:Saint Asaph 983:Hando, Fred 888:17 November 663:Newman 2000 497:Reformation 482:Middle Ages 440:Crickhowell 428:rood screen 405:castellated 268:Abergavenny 101: / 1322:Categories 1184:Governance 963:11 January 941:11 January 919:11 January 756:Hando 1958 720:"Churches" 538:Churchyard 501:Henry VIII 420:Fred Hando 365:subsidence 355:overlying 317:buttresses 218:Designated 186:Dedication 86:51°54′15″N 1131:Hierarchy 863:16 August 826:16 August 801:15 August 775:14 August 726:14 August 704:16 August 682:14 August 386:Llanthony 382:Oldcastle 373:Victorian 313:tie beams 191:St Martin 89:3°01′13″W 1266:Armorial 1153:Monmouth 1148:Llandaff 1107:Monmouth 1102:Llandaff 1090:Dioceses 1031:(2000). 1007:(2008). 997:30235598 985:(1958). 698:"Cwmyoy" 524:Benefice 436:Llanbedr 369:medieval 361:slippage 289:Vicar(s) 258:Monmouth 247:Monmouth 128:Location 121:SO299233 1254:Symbols 976:Sources 630:Coflein 495:At the 438:, near 416:galleon 408:parapet 349:geology 343:History 325:chancel 264:Deanery 242:Diocese 213:Grade I 177:Founded 162:History 142:Country 1285:(1984) 1143:Bangor 1097:Bangor 1041:  1017:  995:  634:RCAHMW 518:Parish 401:rubble 351:is of 321:Gothic 305:Cwmyoy 283:Clergy 274:Parish 230:Church 205:Active 167:Status 132:Cwmyoy 1275:Other 563:Notes 488:, to 444:Powys 380:with 145:Wales 1261:Flag 1039:ISBN 1015:ISBN 993:OCLC 965:2023 943:2023 921:2023 904:Cadw 890:2018 865:2017 828:2017 803:2017 777:2017 728:2017 706:2017 684:2017 641:2021 609:2021 592:Cadw 451:Cadw 363:and 357:marl 329:nave 315:and 299:The 526:of 1324:: 1220:• 910:. 906:. 881:. 819:. 785:^ 736:^ 649:^ 632:. 628:. 617:^ 598:. 594:. 571:^ 514:. 446:. 442:, 388:. 339:. 327:, 307:, 303:, 134:, 1226:) 1214:( 1075:e 1068:t 1061:v 1047:. 1023:. 999:. 967:. 945:. 923:. 892:. 867:. 830:. 805:. 779:. 730:. 708:. 686:. 643:. 611:.

Index


Church of St Martin, Cwmyoy is located in Monmouthshire
51°54′15″N 3°01′13″W / 51.9043°N 3.0202°W / 51.9043; -3.0202
OS grid reference
SO299233
Cwmyoy
Monmouthshire
Denomination
Church in Wales
Parish church
Dedication
St Martin
Church
Diocese
Monmouth
Archdeaconry
Deanery
Parish
Vicar(s)
Cwmyoy
Monmouthshire
tie beams
buttresses
Gothic
chancel
nave
Grade I listed building
St Martin of Tours
geology
Old Red Sandstone

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