The Church of St Wonnow is the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Wonastow Wonastow ( cy, Llanwarw) is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located south west of Monmouth. History and amenities Wonastow has a twelfth-century church dedicated to St. Wonnow or Saint Winwaloe, believed to have been bu ...

, a small rural village south-west of Monmouth,

south east Wales South East Wales is a loosely defined region of Wales generally corresponding to the preserved counties of Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and Gwent. Highly urbanised, it includes the cities of Cardiff and Newport as well as large towns in th ...

. It is a

Grade II* listed building 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 Ir ...

History and architecture

St Wonnows derives its name from Saint Wonnow or

Winwaloe Saint Winwaloe ( br, Gwenole; french: Guénolé; la, Winwallus or ; – 3 March 532) was the founder and first abbot of Landévennec Abbey (literally " Lann of Venec"), also known as the Monastery of Winwaloe. It was just south of Brest in Bri ...

, a sixth-century saint in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, whose cult was probably brought to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

by Saint Gwenhael, his successor as abbot of

Landévennec Landévennec (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Geography Landévennec is located on the Crozon peninsula, southeast of Brest.The river Aulne forms a natural boundary to the east. ...

. The first church at Wonastow is thought to have been built in the seventh century, when Cynfwr ap Iago gave the church and village to the

Diocese of Llandaff The Diocese of Llandaff is an Anglican (Church in Wales) diocese that traces its roots to pre-Reformation times as heir of a Catholic bishopric. It is headed by the Bishop of Llandaff, whose seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Pet ...

.Monmouth Parishes: History of St Wonnow's
Accessed 1 February 2012 Parts of the present church are thought to date from the twelfth century. The

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ov ...

is in the

Perpendicular style Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...

, built of

Old Red Sandstone The Old Red Sandstone is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the northeastern seaboard of North America. It also exte ...

and with square-headed windows and

cinquefoil ''Potentilla'' is a genus containing over 300Guillén, A., et al. (2005)Reproductive biology of the Iberian species of ''Potentilla'' L. (Rosaceae).''Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid'' 1(62) 9–21. species of annual, biennial and perenn ...

ogee An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinat ...

lights.John Newman, ''The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire'', Penguin Books, 2000, , p.602 The roof, supported by four pairs of hammer beams, is of unknown mediaeval date, restored in 1977. Monuments inside the church include one to George Milborne, who died in 1637. The entire building was heavily restored in the 1860s, and the tower is dated 1865. Further restoration was undertaken in the 1880s, through gifts by Sir John and Lady Adela Searle after they came to live at nearby

Wonastow Court Wonastow Court, in Wonastow, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a 19th-century country house with earlier origins and later additions. The court is a Grade II listed building, and its gardens are listed, also at Grade II, on the History The origins of t ...

. They also provided a new porch in 1909, and a rood screen and reredos in 1913, as well as stained glass windows and a new

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

The church today

Although only small numbers attend the weekly service, there is a great deal of regard and affection for the church by the wider community as witnessed by the successful restoration programme in recent years. The church is normally locked but visitors can obtain the key locally by prior arrangement with the Vicar.Parish contacts
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Church Incumbents

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wonastow History of Monmouthshire Grade II* listed churches in Monmouthshire Church in Wales church buildings