St Ffraed, Llansantffraed

 

Back in Wales this week visiting St Ffraed, Llansantffraed which I have driven past many times and have always wanted to stop off and look around because you notice a huge tomb from the road as I had gone to the caravan to retrieve someting I left behind I stopped for a quick look around. I had hoped the church would be open but alas no.
 

St Ffraed looking up from the old road which is now a layby

History from Wikipedia 

The church of St Ffraed is a Grade II listed building. It was largely restored in 1690 and was completely rebuilt in 1885 by the architect Stephen W. Williams.

The parish is the burial place of the poet Henry Vaughan (1621–1695), who was born in the hamlet of Scethrog within the parish. Vaughan's grave in the churchyard, on the slopes of a hill known as Allt yr Esgair or simply The Allt, overlooks the River Usk. The poets Siegfried Sassoon, Roland Mathias, Brian Morris and Anne Cluysenaar were all inspired to write poems by their visits to the grave. Sassoon's "At the Grave of Henry Vaughan" is the best-known of these and is read every year at the graveside following the Vaughan memorial service.

Another grave of note in the churchyard is a Grade II listed tomb erected for the Gwynne-Holford family, residents of nearby Buckland Hall (see below). The family included James Gwynne-Holford, Conservative Member of Parliament for Brecon (died 1886).

 Vaughan's twin brother, Thomas Vaughan, became rector of Llansantffraed in about 1644.  He was forced to vacate the position in 1650, on grounds that included his having been on the Royalist side during the English Civil War.

Thomas Vaughn is buried at St Helen, Albury which is a church I shall have to revisit

The church as you go in the churchyard

Going around the south side of the church

Porch and belltower, not often you see one on the south side

The doorway in, I go no further as it was locked, hopefully another time I will get inside

The belltower with similar door to the one in the porch

South east end

East end of the church

Around the north side 

I was near this tomb chest

The churchyard nearby is well overgrown

North side looking east 

Similar view looking east up the churchyard

South side looking east

The grave of Little Awbury who died in 1805

The word on this one are A Tribute of Love

This is the tomb you see from the road as you pass

I was stood about 4 foot away taking this photo leaning back to get it all in

It belongs to the Holford Family

At the top of the churchyard is a seat in area made into a patio, I did not take much notice till I read about the church when I got home

The seat faces this grave which belongs to the poet Henry Vaughn 

He died in 1695 

I find it remarkable his grave is in such good condition and the words still readable helped by the fact the pine needles lay in them outlining what it says 

Information plaque about Henry Vaughn 

Cropped out part you can read

This one is by the entrance

And cropped so you can read. 

The Holford tomb and the church

I will leave you with this little rabbit I noticed in the shrubs

Till Next time may I wish you all a Peaceful Weekend 

St Deny, Northmoor

 

The second of my revisits to this area and another wonderful church to visit St Denys Northmoor was only along the road from Stanton Harcourt so it seemed silly not to stop off to visit again

Entrance to the churchyard though the gate

 In 1059 King Edward the Confessor granted land at Northmoor to St Denis Abbey in Paris. Northmoor was made a separate parish in the 12th century, and the parish church of Saint Denys was then built. Nothing survives of this original building except the font, which is Norman. The earliest part of the present Church of England parish church on the same site is the Early English Gothic chancel, which was built in the 13th century. The chancel's east window is a set of three lancets and it has another lancet in its south wall. The present nave and north and south transepts were built early in the 14th century. The bell tower over the west bay of the nave was added in the 15th century. The tower has a ring of six bells. Abraham I Rudhall of Gloucester cast the fifth bell in 1714, and Thomas Rudhall cast all the others in 1764. The Gothic Revival architect C.C. Rolfe carried out a sensitive restoration of building in 1887. St Denys' is now a Grade I listed building

The entrance path takes you to the door on the north side

North east view with a row of family graves in the foreground

Heading to the north east of the church

Around to the south east side

South west end 

 Back to the north side

Churchyard looking over to the road

Around the south side looking west

 Some headstones on the south side by the porch

The porch is used as a store because the doorway to the church is blocked up

South side looking east

Path at the north east end of the church going to the road

The headstone stood out for me

In the church looking down the nave

The altar looking to the chancel

The chancel with the old altar and east window

Altar and east window

Closer view of the altar and east window 

The east window

Looking back through the chancel arch from the choir stalls

Barrel arch, the colour did not show so well but you can see hints in some of the other photos

Sedila seats and piscina

Stained glass window

Memorials 

Nalder family memorial 

Couple more memorials thought the inscription not so easy to read

A few tombs in the floor

Looking back from the chancel arch 

Pulpit is nothing special to look at

View down from it, to the left you can see the blocked south doorway

I have forgotten where this altar was in the church

Painting of Christ carrying his cross

North aisle with the organ

South aisle or Lady chapel used as a meeting area with lots of books in it and a grand piano 

Old church chest the date is 1727

I should have read what the note said at the bottom of this banner 

  Rather nice statue of the Madonna and Child which is not as old as the niche it sits

The memorial above 

Mothers union banner 

List of benefactors to the poor 

This little commemoration plaque explains the Madonna and child 

Could not say what this is other than it above the pulpit

Stoup or piscina

North transept where these memorials are hidden away

On the north wall are a couple of tomb recesses a lady this side 

and a knight the other 

The are Sir Thomas da la More and his wife Issabella dating to 1314 and they are not in the original position, they were side by side on a tomb but moved here sometime after the 19th century they were also painted and some of the paint can still be seen

Another memorial 

There is also a tomb chest

The owner makes interesting reading 

Some medieval paining

Stained glass window in the chapel 

To the back and the gallery

British legion flag and shields either side 

The inscription dated 1701 tells you who gave it

The Roll of Honour over on the south wall 

With the list of the fallen

The tub font with carving on it

Behind you can see this photo of the old church

Back of the font and the church

One last look down the nave

I will take my leave with this photo of a straw angel 

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week