Church Heritage Cymru

Church Heritage Cymru 1568

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St Nicholas, Montgomery

Name:

The name or dedication of the church.

St Nicholas, Montgomery
Record Type:

This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.

Parish Church
Church code:

A unique identification number given to every church.

1568
Diocese:

The name of the diocese in which the church is located.

St Asaph
Archdeaconry:

The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.

Montgomery
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.

This is a Grade I Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites. 

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.

The church is in the following Conservation Area: Montgomery

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Buildings At Risk Status

On Buildings At Risk Register?

The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales. 

This church is not on the Buildings at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).

Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More  detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.

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Visiting and Facilities

Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc. 

The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.

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Sources and Further Information

Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).

View information on worship and access at this church on the Church In Wales web site
RCAHMW (2004) Coflein http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/152865/details/ [Digital Archive/Document]
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/
CPAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://www.cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?prn=CPAT30519 [Digital Archive/Document]
CPAT (2016) Welsh Historic Churches Survey http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk\projects\longer\churches\montgom\16914.htm [Digital Archive/Document]
http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk/projects/longer/churches/idxall.htm

This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.

Grid Reference: SO 223 965

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Church address

Address
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
St Nicholas Church Bank MONTGOMERY SY15 6PU

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.

Powys - Powys

Location and Setting

This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.

St Nicholas’ Church lies on a low hill on the eastern side but within the walled town of Montgomery overlooking the Vale of Montgomery towards the Shropshire Hills to the east and south and the Long Mountain to the northeast. The town is 37 km south west of Shrewsbury along the B4386, 13km south from Welshpool along the B4388 and 15km north east of Newtown along the A483 then the B4385.

Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps  AA

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

This is a description of the ground plan of the church.

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Dimensions

If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.

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Description of Archaeology and History

A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.

The town takes its name from Roger de Montgomery, earl of Shrewsbury who created a motte and bailey castle about 1 km north of the present town at Hen Domen.  As an historic environment Montgomery has examples of every historic period from the iron age fort to the north west of the town through a roman fort about 2 km north west of the town and then within the present built up area.  A castle was built here by Henry III in 1223 and the borough was granted a charter in 1277.  The church was then built at the same time and much of the original structure still exists although initially is was a chapelry of the neighbouring priory at Chirbury about 4 km towards Shrewsbury and across the Welsh/English border.  The Lymore Chapel is said to have been added in the late C13 and it is possible that the chancel was extended in the late C13.  Restoration work in 1543 carried out works on a steeple and the chancel screen was added at a cost of £155.

Further repairs to the steeple and bells were recorded in 1655, a War of the Three Kingdoms (Civil War) battle had taken place outside the town on 18 September 1644.  The tower was lowered and crenelated.  In 1816 the tower was taken down and the present tower erected at the north end of the north transept, the work being paid for by Lord Clive, third earl of Powys at a cost of £1700. A vestry was added between 1840 and 1850.

Significant restoration occurred in 1868 under G Beadnell including the restoration of the west window, re-pointing and colouring the walls and the replacement of the chancel ceiling.  The old porch was removed and replaced by a new one using an oak purlin from the wagon roof in the nave.

In 1875 G E Street prepared a report on the church suggesting that the north arcade be recreated and the chancel reroofed according to whatever was found to be the medieval intention.  The work was done by Edward Haycock the Younger between 1877 and 1878.  The north transept arcade was inserted in place of existing iron pillars and the existing gallery was taken out and the floors levelled and covered with tiles, the old two-decker pulpit and box pews were replaced.  Further repairs were undertaken in 1893 and 1914.  In 1923, when the Welsh Church was disestablished the parish was transferred from Hereford into St Asaph Diocese.  Major restoration took place 1969-70 under the direction of Anthony Catwin when a new ceiling was inserted in the chancel

References

Cadw Listings Notice

Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013

CPAT Montgomeryshire Churches Survey Lost Battlefields of Wales   Martin Hacketty

Exterior Description

A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.

The church consists of a nave and chancel in one, north and south transepts (strictly chapels), a north tower, south porch and a vestry on the north side of the chancel.  It was built with small to medium sized blocks of random red sandstone, and grey or grey-green shales with some inserted bricks, sandstone dressings and evidence of limewash.  The roof is of slate with black ceramic ridge tiles, but red ridge tiles on the porch.  There are stone cross finials at the west end of the nave, and the transepts and a wooden one on the porch while on the end of the chancel it is wrought iron.  The tower is of four stages of rubble construction with ashlar dressings.  On the west side is a round painted clock dated 1816.  

References

Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013

Cadw Listings Notice

CPAT Montgomeryshire Churches Survey

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.

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Building Fabric and Features

Information about any important features and building fabric.

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Building Materials

If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.

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Interior Image

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Interior Description

This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.

The porch is approached along a sunken pathway across the churchyard, it has a stone flagged floor with a roof supported by a single peaked collar truss with cusped raking and a ceiling plastered above the exposed rafters.  The door leads in to the nave with a C19 tiled floor, plastered walls with deeply splayed windows and a roof in two parts.  The western end has a late C15/earlyC16 hammer beam roof with six cusped, arch-braced trusses forming five bays, and four tiers of quatrefoil windbraces with moulded purlins and rafters.  The wall plates are decorated with blind ogee-traceried panels. The hammerbeams spring from wooden wall posts on the north and south walls.  The eastern part of the nave, as far as the screen, is probably C16 and consists of a wagon roof divided into 80 square plastered panels defined by moulded ribs with coloured bosses at the intersection.  During the C19 restorations it was confirmed that the arch-braced roof does not continue under the wagon roof.

The north Transept has a floor of tiles, plaster walls and ceiling with access to the tower where there are toilets.

The south transept – the Lymore chapel has a C19 tiled floor with a C17 roof restored in 1886 and on the south wall is a faint medieval wall painting.  The most significant feature are the two recumbent alabaster effigies of men in armour.  The earlier one with a jupon over his armour, is probably Sir Edmund Mortimer dated as 1534 while the latter is documented by Lord Herbert of Chirbury as Sir Richard Herbert 1408 but on stylistic grounds because of his shoes and Yorkist collar it must have been made c150.  Both come from vanished table tombs.  The magnificent Elizabethan Canopied tomb dates from 1600 designed by Walter Hancock, a master mason from High Ercall in Shropshire.  Herbert lies beside his wife and their eight children are featured in paired arcades and include Lord Herbert of Chirbury and George Herbert.

Entry into the chancel is through a double medieval rood screen, the front being of this church the chancel portion coming from the Augustian Priory at Chirbury across the border, brought at the Dissolution, it has been compared to those in Ludlow and Leintwardine.  The Perpendicular monastic screen is of five bays a side originally closed by panels.  There are nine lively misericords: an eagle, a priest, a dual, a lost soul taken to hell, and other narrative scenes.  The space between the screens has room of two pews and there are Jacobean gates with little balusters on the way through to the choir.

The font is C13 with a squat hourglass-shaped cylinder with a band at its waits.  The oak octagonal pulpit was designed by Street and is carved with figures in the niches.  Carpenter and Inglow carved the reredos in Caen stone and alabaster – it was designed as a frame for the east window.  The four alabaster figures are by T Earp while the mosaic figures are the Evangelists and Prophets and are by Clayton & Bell.

The stained glass: ‘The Adoration of the shepherds and Magi’ 1902, Charles Hean (artist G L Merchant); ‘Receiving the crown of Life’ 1928, William Morris &Co; ‘The George Herbert Window’ 2002, Glantawe Studios (artist John Edwards); ‘The Ascension & Crucifixion’, 1859, Thomas Baile.

The are six bells in the tower, 5 date form 1724 by Abraham II Rudhall and one dated 1814 by John Briant

References

Cadw Listings Notice

CPAT Montgomeryshire Churches Survey

Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013

A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings. 

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Portable Furnishings and Artworks

Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.

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Ecology

A description of the ecology of the churchyard.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

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Burial and War Grave Information

Records whether the church has been consecrated.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.

It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.

It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.

The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Parish Church

Churchyard Structures

Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Setting Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.

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Fabric Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Fabric Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.

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Interior Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Interior Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.

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Community Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Community Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community. 

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Church Renewables

Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.

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Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

"Seek Advice" Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Parish Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Parish Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Parish Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Parish Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Asset AddressWed 08 May 2019 11:31:16
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Location and Setting DescriptionFri 04 Jan 2019 16:41:37
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionFri 04 Jan 2019 16:39:54
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Exterior DescriptionFri 04 Jan 2019 16:39:28
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Archaeology and History DescriptionFri 04 Jan 2019 16:39:10
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationFri 04 Jan 2019 16:38:40
Paul BakerModified the Grid ReferenceFri 04 Jan 2019 16:32:26
Paul BakerModified the Grid ReferenceFri 04 Jan 2019 15:51:19
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Conservation Area informationFri 04 Jan 2019 11:28:17
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the National Park informationFri 04 Jan 2019 11:28:02
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