The name or dedication of the church.
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.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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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.
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 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.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
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.
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).
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.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
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.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
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.
Machen is on the A486 11km west of Newport. The church is in an elevated position on the east side of Upper Machen Village – the graveyard falls towards the A486.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 171 Cadw Listing Notice 21308
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
Designed by W. G. & E. Habershon of London and Newport. Built in 1854-5 by Edey & Basford of St Neots and Mr Knight of Exeter. The architects acted for the Tredegar Estate from this time, and also built the Church of St Mary at Risca in 1851. The need for a new church in Upper Machen, to compliment St Michael's in Lower Machen, was due to the rapid rise in population caused by industrialisation. In 1854, the rector opened a subscription list and soon had over #1,000. #400 was donated by Edward Buller, proprietor of Machen Colliery. Interestingly, the list of subscribers included non-conformists who were subsequently involved in the church. Some services were undertaken in Welsh. Repairs to the church were undertaken from 1860, the steep pitch of the roof causing problems with damp. In 1952 the steeple was rebuilt. The unusual position and polygonal shape of the spire recalls the medieval steeple at Lostwithiel (Cornwall).
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
Nave, chancel, S porch, N vestry, steeple to SE angle of nave. Mixed Early English and Geometric styles. Constructed of coursed, rock-faced stone under steeply pitched slate roofs. String course, plinth, and stepped angle buttresses. Corbelled eaves with foliate bosses, and raised copings. Lancet windows, mainly paired, with sandstone dressings and hoodmoulds with end stops. Large porch offset to L of centre of nave, flanked by paired lancets. Wide pointed-arched entrance with hollow mouldings containing planked double doors. Trefoil to apex and paired trefoils to sides. Short 3-stage steeple with angle buttresses to S and E. Single lancet to 1st stage. Shorter lancet to 2nd stage with clock above in sandstone surround with inscription 'watch and pray'. Second lancet to E face. The angles of the 2nd stage are slightly rounded, with sandstone broach stops. The top stage is octagonal and built of sandstone, with lancet-shaped louvres between colonnettes under steep gables with pierced trefoils. The spire rises above. The nave has a large 4-light W window in Geometric style with cusped lancets and cusped trefoils and quatrefoils above. Trefoil to gable apex. The N wall of the nave has 4 pairs of lancets separated by angle buttresses. The S side of the chancel has 3 bays divided by stepped buttresses. The outer bays have paired lancets. The inner bay has a pointed-arched priest's door in a sandstone surround with hollow mouldings. The L side of the arch head cuts into the base of a lancet window, perhaps rather awkwardly, but the 2 are contemporary. Four-light E window in Geometric style, with cusped lancets and trefoils and sexfoil above. Lean-to vestry to N with 3 trefoiled lights in heavy surround. Planked door to E end of vestry in heavy surround with shouldered lintel.
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
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.
Undivided nave with 7-bay roof, the E bay wider. High hammer-beam roof supported on corbels. Alternate corbels are at wall-plate level and bear gold-painted head bosses. Pierced cinquefoils above collar trusses. Tall chancel arch with several orders of mouldings, the inner ones supported by corbels, beneath which are head bosses, one a man, the other a woman. Behind the pulpit is an octagonal pier with capital which supports the NW angle of the tower. Pointed arches with chamfered reveals spring from the pier and form the N and W internal sides of the steeple. The stone pulpit is polygonal with blind arches, supported on a short octagonal pedestal. The octagonal font has incised quatrefoils, on a stem composed of 4 columns, on a large octagonal plinth. Simple porch with recesses for the paired trefoiled lights. The chancel has a 3-bay arched brace roof, the trusses supported on plain corbels. Pointed arch to vestry doorway. The tracery lights of the W window and the S chancel windows have stained glass in a geometric design. The E window is dedicated to William Rees Lloyd (d. 1919). Flanking the E window are 2 blind lancets in which are written biblical texts. Memorial plaque on N wall of chancel to W. Darby, son of the rector, who died in 1915 in the Great War.
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
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.
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.
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.
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.