Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth

The Church of St Thomas the Martyr at Overmonnow, Monmouth, south east Wales, is located beside the medieval Monnow Bridge across the River Monnow. At least part of the building dates from around 1180, and it has a fine 12th-century Norman chancel arch, though the exterior was largely rebuilt in the early 19th century. It is one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail and is a Grade II* listed building.

History and architecture

The building is constructed of Old Red Sandstone. Dedicated to St Thomas à Becket, it became a chapel-of-ease to St Mary's Priory Church as it did not have its own parish. It is listed in a papal edict by Pope Urban III in 1186. It is thought to have existed in 1170 although Charles Heath in 1800 reported evidence of earlier Saxon design in the shape of the architecture.

Both St Thomas' and the nearby Monnow Bridge were damaged by fire in the Battle of Monmouth in 1233, part of the series of uprisings against Henry III by his barons. This required the church to be repaired using over a dozen oaks supplied by the Constable of St Briavels in Gloucestershire. The wood was delivered by royal command from the Forest of Dean the following year. In the year 1256 anchorites were living in St Thomas's.Monmouth Civic Society, ''Guide to the Monmouth Heritage Blue Plaque Trail'', n.d., p.3

John Gilbert, Bishop of Hereford found a leaking vestry roof that was being ignored by the parish in 1397. In 1610 the church was still small with a tower.John Speed's map of Monmouth, 1610 It appears to have been badly neglected by the early 19th century; in 1829, Bishop Huntingford's inspection referred to it as "this dilapidated and forsaken church". His inspection also records the disproportionately small turret placed above the west gable when, in 1830, St Thomas's ceased to be a chapel of rest and it was given its own parish distinct from St Mary's. A major restoration and extension of the church was completed by the London architect Thomas Henry Wyatt, who added box pews with raised galleries. The oak galleries, on both sides above the nave, are still present today. The vestries were constructed in 1887–8.

The dog's tooth Norman chancel arch is still untouched and the piscina in the south wall, and two doorways on the opposite wall also appear to be original. The church has two fonts. That on the south wall has a pillar base with scrollwork and a bowl with images of the faces of a man and a woman, pelicans and a serpent in a Garden of Eden theme. Scholarship as to its date has developed. Until the late 20th century, it was generally considered to be an unusually well preserved example of a 12th-century font. John Guy and Ewart Smith, in their 1979 study, ''Ancient Gwent Churches'', describe it as "very ancient". This dating echoes E. T. Davies, who suggests, in his 1977 booklet, ''The Ancient Churches of Gwent'', that the styling of the pillar indicates that the font "goes back to the end of the eleventh century". The church itself labels the font as "early". However, Davies noted that the pillar and bowl may be of different periods and suggested that "expert examination may modify this conclusion". John Newman, in his 2000 Pevsner ''Gwent/Monmouthshire'', does just that, recording the wooden conical cover as "clearly of the 1830s" and the font as "a pastiche of the same date". Cadw follows Newman, describing the font as having a "19th century interlace stem and charming, possibly recut, Romanesque bowl". A second plain font may date from the 15th century. Further work by the Welsh architect John Prichard was completed in 1875. The west turret was replaced by a bell arch. The east window dates from 1957, and the church was last restored in 1989–91. On the east side beside the road there is a garden of rest with a calvary cross. The church sits on land between the road and the river Monnow and a contemporary ceramic mosaic has been installed by Monmouth Town Council. The circular plinth is made of 40 tiles that illustrate and commemorate the Millennium showing over 2,000 years of local history.

Church Incumbents

Gallery

Historical images

File:Interior St. Thomas' Church, Monmouth. (3375365).jpg, engraving showing interior of church c. 1800
File:Church of St Thomas Monmouth.jpg, the church in 1845
File:Over Monnow & St. Thomas's Church, Monmouth. (3375367).jpg, engraving by C. Hough of 1845
File:Monmouth - St Thomas Square & Cross 1904.jpg, St Thomas Square & Cross 1904
File:Monmouth St Thomas Church 1937.jpg, the church in 1937

Church interior

Image:St.Thomas's church nave - geograph.org.uk - 1373701.jpg, nave
Image:Church of St Thomas the Martyr Overmonnow.jpg, stained glass window
Image:St.Thomas's Chancel Arch - geograph.org.uk - 1373708.jpg, chancel arch
Image:Font at the Church of St Thomas the Martyr Monmouth.jpg, one of two church fonts
Image:Font in Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth.JPG, the other font
Image:Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth, ceiling.JPG, roof

Church exterior

Image:Weir and St. Thomas's Church - geograph.org.uk - 1241362.jpg, view of the church from across the River Monnow
Image:Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth.JPG, front entrance
Image:St Thomass Church Monmouth Oct 2011 plaque.jpg, plaque
Image:Celtic Cross at Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth.JPG, Celtic cross stone sett detail in the garden designed by Cheryl Cummings MSGD ( RHS Medal winner)
Image:St Thomass Church Monmouth Oct 2011 3.jpg, cross and second entrance

References

Sources

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External links

Monmouth Parishes, St Thomas the Martyr

Artwork at Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Monmouth

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monmouth, St Thomas the Martyr
Grade II* listed churches in Monmouthshire
Church in Wales church buildings
12th-century church buildings in Wales
Saint Thomas
John Prichard buildings
Thomas Becket