NoeFlandre/osm-polygon-wikidata-only huggingface dataset:
Pentwyn, Rockfield

Pentwyn, Rockfield, Monmouthshire is a Victorian villa dating from the mid 19th century. Its origins are older but the present building was constructed by the Monmouth architect George Vaughan Maddox for himself in 1834–1837, and subsequently altered by him after a later sale. It was partly converted into apartments for letting in the 20th century before reverting to use as a family house. The house is Grade II* listed. History The Monmouthshire historian Sir Joseph Bradney, in the Hundred of Skenfrith volume of his A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time, records that the property was originally owned by the Vaughan family of Llanrothal. In 1834, James Vaughan left the house to his nephew George Vaughan Maddox. Maddox, from a family of architects, had a significant practice in Monmouthshire and his works in Monmouth gave the county town, "its particular architectural flavour". Maddox certainly undertook works at Pentwyn on his own behalf, and Bradney suggests he designed further improvements after selling the property to the Reverend Canon John Harding in 1864. However, Maddox died in that year and Cadw considers that most of the improvements and extensions to the house predate the sale. In the 20th century, the villa was converted into apartments. It is currently for sale. The gardens surrounding the house were mapped in the Ordnance Survey's Monmouthshire maps of the very early 20th century. These show scenic paths and a carriage drive, a kitchen garden, a conservatory and two areas of flat ground which were probably the sites for a tennis court and a croquet lawn. Architecture and description The architectural historian John Newman describes the house as "Tudoresque" in style. Cadw prefers a description of Georgian Gothick. The house is of two storeys, with large attics above, and is rendered in stucco. The roofline has elaborate bargeboards and pinnacles. The interiors, which contain many original features, are similarly Gothick in design, with the exception of a large dining room dating from circa 1900 which Cadw describes as designed and decorated in an Edwardian taste. The building is Grade II* listed, on account of its architectural interest and its historic connections with George Vaughan Maddox. References Sources Bradney, Joseph Alfred (1991) [1904]. The Hundred of Skenfrith. A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time. Vol. 1, Part 1. Chesterfield, Derbyshire: Academy Books. ISBN 978-1-873-36109-2. OCLC 59882270. Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-140-71053-3.
Allt-y-Bela

Allt-y-Bela in Llangwm, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a house of late medieval origin with additions from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. The name means "wood/wooded slope of the wolf/marten" in Welsh. During the early seventeenth century, it was owned by Roger Edwards, a wealthy Midlands merchant and the founder of Usk Grammar School. Edwards made significant alterations in the Renaissance style to the medieval cruck house. By the twentieth century, the house was in ruins until restored by the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust in the early twenty-first century. Now owned by the garden designer Arne Maynard, the house is a Grade II* listed building recognising its significance as an "exceptionally important sub-medieval house with ambitious early renaissance additions". History and architecture The house was built in the late-medieval period, the first datable reference being an "ovolo-moulded mullion window of 1599." This period also saw the construction of the three-storeyed parlour tower. This building was undertaken by Roger Edwards, a cloth merchant from the Midlands, who founded the grammar school at Usk. This phase of construction was investigated by Sir Cyril Fox and Lord Raglan in their multi-volume study Monmouthshire Houses. Fox and Raglan described the architectural style employed as Renaissance, identifying it as a significant development in Monmouthshire vernacular architecture. Peter Smith, in his study Houses of the Welsh Countryside, records their view that the construction of the parlour block at Allt-y-Bela "heralded the beginning of the Renaissance in th(e) county". The Monmouthshire author and artist Fred Hando visited the house in the early 1950s and described it in his book Journeys in Gwent. Although, in 1951, the house was still habitable, Hando wrote presciently of its coming fate: "Here are ominous signs that unless immediate and drastic action is taken, we shall lose priceless relics." By the end of the twentieth century, the house was in a state of advanced decay with the parlour tower having almost completely collapsed. In 2000, the architectural writer John Newman described the house as "miserably derelict." Following compulsory purchase by Monmouthshire County Council, control of the building passed to the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust in 2001. After a large-scale restoration project, jointly funded by the Trust and by Cadw, the fully restored building was sold to the landscape designer Arne Maynard in 2006. It now operates as a bed and breakfast and can also be rented in its entirety. Notes References Fox, Cyril; Raglan, Lord (1994). Renaissance Houses, c.1590–1714, Part 3. Monmouthshire Houses. Cardiff: Merton Priory Press Ltd & The National Museum of Wales. ISBN 1-898937-00-1. Hando, Fred (1951). Journeys in Gwent. Newport: R. H. Johns Ltd. OCLC 30202753. Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. Penguin. ISBN 0140710531. Smith, Peter (1975). Houses of the Welsh Countryside. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 0-11-700475-8. OCLC 868639211.
St Cybi's Church, Llangybi, Monmouthshire

The Church of St Cybi, Llangybi, Monmouthshire is a parish church with its origins in the 13th or 14th century. Refurbished in the 15th century, the church was restored in 1909–10. The interior has a notable collection of medieval wall paintings, in particular a Christ of the Trades, dating from c.1460. The church is an active parish church and part of the recently formed Heart of Monmouthshire Ministry Area. It is a Grade II* listed building and the architectural writer John Newman, recording the church in the Buildings of Wales series, described it as "one of the most interesting in the Usk Valley." History The church is dedicated to St Cybi, a 6th-century Cornish saint who is reputed to have founded the church. The present church dates from either the 13th or the 14th century. The church was refurbished in the early 18th century and then restored in the early 20th century by W H Dashwood Caple. The wall paintings are medieval and include The Creed and a depiction of Christ of the Trades. Whitewashed over for centuries, they are now fully restored, as part of an extensive restoration of the church. Adam of Usk, the 15th-century priest and chronicler, was the incumbent of the parish in 1423. The churchyard is the site of the grave of the victims of a Spanish sailor, Josef Garcia, who was convicted and hanged for the murder of five members of the Watkins family, resident in the village, in a notorious 19th century murder case. Just outside the churchyard, are the remains of a Holy well, also dedicated to St Cybi. Recent scholarship suggests that the well, and the White Hart Inn in the village, were referenced by T.S. Eliot in his poem Usk. The relevant lines read: "Do not suddenly break the branch, or Hope to find The white hart behind the white well." Architecture and description The style of the building is Perpendicular. The West Tower is two-storeyed and without buttresses. The medieval roof of the nave has been exposed during current renovations. Simon Jenkins described the early 20th century restoration of the interior as "masterly" and attributes it to W. D. Caröe. In addition to the medieval wall painting, the interior has a number of 17th century painted inscriptions. It also has some funerary monuments, including one dedicated to John Morgan, and dated 1805, by Tyley of Bristol. The monument depicts a woman crying over an urn under a spreading weeping willow. Opinions differ as to its quality; the Cadw record describes it as "good", while Newman considers it "hackneyed." Newman takes a more positive view of the church overall, considering it "one of the most interesting in the Usk Valley". The pulpit is a reconstructed example from the 18th century, with an associated sounding board to amplify the preacher's voice. The pews are of the 19th century, and the now-refurbished organ dates from 1933. Notes References Breverton, Terry (2013). Wales' 1000 Best Heritage Sites. ISBN 9781445620138. Jenkins, Simon (2008). Wales: Churches, Houses, Castles. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-713-99893-1. Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
St Mary's Church, Chirk

St Mary's is a Grade I listed parish church in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It stands at the south end of the main street of Chirk, within its own graveyard, on the northern edge of the valley of the Afon Ceiriog. The parish is in the Mission Area of Offa in the Church in Wales Diocese of St Asaph. The church is listed on the National Monuments Record of Wales. History The original church, which had a similar footprint to that of the present building, was begun during the 11th century by the Normans, although it is believed that an older llan, dedicated to St Tysilio, had existed on the site. In 1519, William Edwards of New Hall extended the building by adding a nave. The tower was added to the west bay. It saw additional repairs and alterations in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In 1828-9 the interior was remodelled, and alterations were made to the furnishings in 1877. Exterior The church is constructed of sandstone with later buttresses. All but one of the windows are post-Norman. A 20th century stone extension is attached to the north end of the church, serving as a meeting hall. The slate roof is supported by 15th century trusses. Interior The walls and the roof (below the rafters) are plastered. There are three floor levels from the nave to the altar. There are carvings of animals and knights on some trusses. There is a considerable number of monuments and furnishings ranging from the 17th to 19th centuries. Most window glass is 19th or 20th century. The tower contains a ring of six bells, dated 1803 by Rudhall of Gloucester. See also Grade I listed buildings in Wrexham County Borough References External links Church website Further historical information and links on GENUKI
St Andrew's Church, Tredunnock

The Church of St Andrew, Tredunnock, Monmouthshire is a parish church with its origins in the 12th or 13th century. A Grade II* listed building, the church remains an active parish church. History Two lancet windows in the chancel may be Norman, giving a foundation in the 12th century but the earliest recorded mention of the church is from the mid-13th century. Most of the current structure dates from the 15th or 16th centuries, including the porch. The font and the top of the tower are 17th century. An extensive restoration of the church took place in the early 20th century. The architect was Arthur Grove and a Portland stone tablet by Eric Gill, dated 1910, records the restoration. The Monmouthshire author and artist Fred Hando recorded that the churchyard held the grave of Eleanor Isabella Gill, only child of Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer. Architecture and description The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone and the style is Perpendicular. The interior contains a Roman grave-slab, described by the architectural historian John Newman as, "splendidly lettered and well-preserved". It commemorates Julius Julianus, a soldier with the Second Augustan Legion based at Isca Augusta, now Caerleon. The porch contains an early tablet by Eric Gill. In his Journeys in Gwent, published in 1951, Hando recalled that, "For half a millennium the country-folk of Tredunnock have worshipped in their lovely brown church". St Andrew's is a Grade II* listed building, its listing recording it as "a very attractive and well preserved medieval church". Notes References Hando, Fred (1951). Journeys in Gwent. Newport: R. H. Johns Ltd. OCLC 30202753. Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
Court Farmhouse, Llanover

Court Farmhouse and the attached Court Farm Cottage, Llanover, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a country house dating from the early 16th century. Originally two houses, which became the East and West wings of a larger house, with a connecting hall constructed in the 17th century, it is now again sub-divided. The house is a Grade II* listed building. History The architectural historian John Newman records that the origins of the house are "two small early houses" of the 16th century which were joined by a hall-range in the 17th century. Kelly's Directory of 1901 records the farm as being in the possession of a David Robert. The farm remains a private building and is the estate office for the Llanover and Coldbrook Estate, as well as providing space for small businesses. Architecture and description The house is of two storeys and is constructed of stone, with stone tiling roofs. John Newman notes the "splendid 17th century hall" with contemporary panelling. The Farm, and the attached cottage are a Grade II* listed building, its listing describing it as a "fine house with early 16th century origins and well-preserved 16th and 17th century detailing". Notes References Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
St Cadoc's Church, Llangattock-juxta-Usk

The Church of St Cadoc, Llangattock-Juxta-Usk, Monmouthshire is a parish church with its datable origins in the 15th century. The church was restored in 1827 and again in 1864–5. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The church sits just south of the River Usk, next to the small hamlet of The Bryn. There is nothing datable before the 15th century, although its origins are earlier. The building was reconstructed in 1827 by the Gloucestershire engineer John Upton and restored in the mid-19th century by John Prichard. It has been little altered since that time and remains an active parish church. Architecture and description The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone. The style is Perpendicular. The interior of the church is "very plain" but contains a surprising collection of medieval wall tiles, one dated to 1456, which are similar to those found in the, more significant, priory churches of St Mary's Priory Church, Monmouth, Tintern Abbey and the Church of St David, Llanthony. The architectural historian John Newman noted that their presence in "this modest parish church has not been explained". The church is a Grade II* listed building. Notes References Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
St Mary's Church, Ruabon

St Mary's is a Grade I listed church in Ruabon, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is situated in the church yard between Bridge Street and Church Street. Included in the listing is the lych gate and churchyard walls. The church is listed on the National Monuments Record of Wales. The parish is in the Mission Area of Offa in the Church in Wales Diocese of St Asaph. History The ancient parish of Ruabon was changed numerous times over the centuries and most recently became the new parish of Penycae. The church was recorded in 1253, dedicated to St Collen. The tower and some other parts are 14th century, and a chapel was added in 1769 when the church was remodelled. The church was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century. Exterior The church, at least as early as the 13th century, is constructed of sandstone rubble and ashlar under a slate roof. The tower is 14th century, and has windows, buttresses and bell openings, and an internal stair tower. There is some evidence remaining of the 13th century building, but most windows are 19th century. Interior The nave and its timber roof are largely 19th century, but there are remnants of the 16th-century construction, and some 15th-century wall paintings were recovered in 1870. The pulpit and walls are 19th century. There are tombs dating from the 15th century, and a number of efigies and sarcophogi. The windows have stained glass of unknown date. See also Grade I listed buildings in Wrexham County Borough References External links Church website Further historical information and links on GENUKI
Eglwys Newydd Church

Eglwys Newydd Church (also known as St Michael's Church, Hafod) is an early 19th-century church which replaced a previous chapel of ease. The chapel of ease was originally at Trisant but was moved to this site around 1620 by the Herbert family, owners of the Hafod estate. The church was designated as a Grade II* listed building in 1964 for its historical connects with the Hafod estate and the quality of work of the remodelling in the 1930s. The 1803 building, designed by James Wyatt, was extensively remodelled in 1840 and 1887. The church was gutted by fire in 1932 and reconstructed by W. D. Caroe. A cross-shaped font, thought to be medieval, was stolen from the church in 1989. References
St Bartholomew's Church, Llanover

The Church of St Bartholomew, Llanover, Monmouthshire is a parish church with its origins in the period following the Norman Conquest. The nave appears the earliest part of the present building, with the chancel dating from the 14th century, the tower from the 16th century and the porch from the 18th century. After a limited Victorian restoration in the middle of the 19th century, the church has been essentially unchanged. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The church sits just north of the village of Llanover, close to the River Usk. The nave is considered to be Norman in origin. The chancel dates from the 14th century, stylistically, and the porch has a date stone of 1750. The building was lightly restored in the Victorian period and has been little altered since that time. It remains an active parish church. Architecture and description The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone. The style is Perpendicular. The interior contains a Royal coat of arms which the architectural historian John Newman described as "painted with much panache, the heraldic shield leaning rakishly between an excitable lion and unicorn". The churchyard contains the tomb of Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover, dated 1868. The church is a Grade II* listed building. Notes References Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
St Michael's Church, Llanvihangel Gobion

The Church of St Michael, Llanvihangel Gobion, Monmouthshire is a parish church with datable origins to the 15th century. There is no record of a Victorian restoration, although one must have occurred (the weathervane bears the date 1846), but there is documented evidence of a "light" reconstruction in 1925. Since the date, the church has barely been altered. It now is closed, having been declared redundant and is in the care of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The datable elements of the church are from the 15th century, although its origins may be earlier, it sits in a circular churchyard and an earlier sculpture has been incorporated into its South wall near the tower. The similarities of the roof-line and tower with those at St Cadoc's Church, Llangattock-juxta-Usk may suggest the involvement of the Gloucestershire engineer John Upton in a Victorian rebuilding, although there is no documented evidence of this. Upton also undertook work at the nearby Pant-y-Goitre Bridge. The architectural historian John Newman writes that the church was "lightly restored in 1925". St Michael’s is now closed. It remains a Grade II* listed building. Architecture and description The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone rubble. The most notable interior features are the "timber aisle-posts, polyganol and moulded", Cadw recording the "good internal carpentry including unusual timber arcade". Of particular interest is a crudely carved stone depicting two angels holding what appears to be a shroud below that of another, headless, figure which may represent the resurrected Christ. This is possibly from a chapel or other religious establishment which originally stood here. Also of note is the impressively large base of a 14th-century preaching cross opposite the South porch. Notes References Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
Ystumllyn

Ystumllyn is a Grade II* listed house in Criccieth, Wales. Founded in the late-16th-century, and significantly expanded in the early-18th-century, it is remarkable as an "important example" of the vernacular architecture of both periods. History The house was apparently built at the end of the 16th century by Ellis ap Cadwaladr (d. 1597), a member of the Welsh Ellis family, which claimed to trace its lineage back to Gollwyn ap Tangno, founder of one of the Fifteen Tribes of Wales. Ellis obtained the property from the Crown, and is the first member of the family to be described as "of Ystumllyn". When it was first built, the house was likely one of the earliest storied buildings in the region. Before 20th-century renovations, the house bore two dated inscriptions of 1720 and 1729 giving a likely date for the extensive 18th-century remodeling and extensions. The owner in this period was Rev. Humphrey Wynn (d. 1724), whose initials are featured on the earlier of these inscriptions. By 1725, it was in possession of Ellis Wynn (d. 1759) who held in until his death. In 1824, the estate passed to philologist Rowland Jones. The roof was raised and the fenestration was remodeled in the 19th century. In c. 1946, J. Egbert Griffiths of Porthmadog carried out several minor alterations, adding some extra windows and rearranging the internal room structure. On 12 December 1994, the building was designated a Grade II* listed building, a listing reserved for "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". The house was home to several local notables throughout its history. The Welsh poet Gruffydd Phylip (d. 1666) composed several poems addressed to the Ellis family, including a poem directly referencing the house, "Hiraeth y bardd am Ystumllyn" ("The Bard's Longing for Ystumllyn"). John Ystumllyn (d. 1786), who took his name from the household, was employed by the Wynn family at this estate as a gardener and survived as the first well-recorded black person of North Wales. He was of uncertain origins, and was possibly kidnapped from Africa by the Wynn family, but lived out a happy life in Ystumllyn, eventually running away with and marrying a local woman. Architecture Ystumllyn is a rubble-built house of two stories, composed of two blocks arranged into a T-shaped plan. The east-facing block is the earliest part of the building, dating to the late 16th century, while the north-facing block (which bisects the east block) was constructed in the early 18th century. The building has been described as historically remarkable in the British Listed Buildings' rationale for registering it as a Grade II* listed building; its original component "incorporates an important example" of 16th-century architecture, while its 18th-century additions "represent high quality vernacular work of the period". Gallery References Sources External links Ystumllyn Site Details at Colfein