Penallt (also spelt Penalt)
is a village in
Monmouthshire, Wales, set high on a hill south of
Monmouth. In the centre of the village, by the village green, is the 17th-century village
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, the Bush Inn.
Description
Nearby, the ''Penallt Old Church Wood'' is a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
managed by the
Gwent Wildlife Trust
Gwent Wildlife Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Gwent) (GWT) is a The Wildlife Trusts, wildlife trust covering the area between the lower River Wye, Wye and Rhymney River, Rhymney rivers which forms the Watsonian vice-counties, vice county of Mo ...
. This deciduous woodland forms a habitat for several bird species, including
pied flycatchers,
nuthatches
The nuthatches () constitute a genus, ''Sitta'', of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Mo ...
,
tree pipit
The tree pipit (''Anthus trivialis'') is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic as far East as the East Siberian Mountains. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia. The s ...
s,
treecreepers
The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains eleven species in two genera, ''Certhia'' and ''Salpornis''. Their plumage ...
s and
sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the genus ''Accipiter''. "Sparrow-hawk" or sparhawk originally referred to ''Accipiter nisus'', now called "Eurasian" or "northern" sparrowhawk to distinguish it f ...
s. Plant species include
wild daffodil
''Narcissus pseudonarcissus'' (commonly known as wild daffodil or Lent lily) (Welsh: Cennin Pedr) is a perennial flowering plant.
This species has pale yellow tepals, with a darker central trumpet. The long, narrow leaves are slightly greyi ...
s and
moschatel
''Adoxa moschatellina'', the moschatel, five-faced bishop, hollowroot, muskroot, townhall clock, tuberous crowfoot or Good Friday plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae. This herbaceous perennial has a holarctic distributi ...
.
Penallt Old Church is about a mile north of the village. The main part of the building dates from the 15th or early 16th century, while the lower part of the tower may date from the 14th century.
Penallt Old Church
at British Listed Buildings The heavy oak door bears the date 1532. The church was restored in 1887. The churchyard cross has a base and lower shaft of 15th-century date. The church dedication is unknown, though there is a local tradition that it was St James, the patron saint of pilgrims. Inside is the royal coat of arms of Queen Anne dating from 1709.
The Argoed, a 17th-century mansion, lies to the south-east of the village. It was once owned by the father of Beatrice Webb, the British socialist, economist and reformer. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin owned it in the 1980s. George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
stayed with the Webb family and described Penallt as a "special place"
Other residents of the village include Jeremy Cook, the BBC's rural affairs correspondent, and the television presenter Kate Humble
Katherine Mary Humble (born 12 December 1968) is an English television presenter and narrator, mainly working for the BBC, specialising in wildlife and science programmes. Humble served as President of the Royal Society for the Protection of Bi ...
. Walter Keeler is a renowned potter specialising in salt glaze pottery
Salt-glaze or salt glaze pottery is pottery, usually stoneware, with a glaze of glossy, translucent and slightly orange-peel-like texture which was formed by throwing common salt into the kiln during the higher temperature part of the firing pro ...
.
Gallery
File:The Old Church Penallt - geograph.org.uk - 473927.jpg, Penallt Old Church
File:The Old Church Penallt - interior, view up the aisle - geograph.org.uk - 473918.jpg, Interior of the church
Image:Old chapel, Pen-twyn - geograph.org.uk - 261719.jpg, Old chapel
Image:Penallt - Pelham Hall - geograph.org.uk - 473937.jpg, Pelham Hall
Image:The War Memorial in Pen-twyn - geograph.org.uk - 261718.jpg, The war memorial
References
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External links
*
Genuki on Penallt
Photos of Penallt Old Church
at geograph.org.uk
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Villages in Monmouthshire
