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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · South Wales

St Martin's Church

Norman & medievalFree admission

St Martin's Church — church in Cwmyoy, Monmouthshire, Wales.

St Martin's Church, historic churches in South Wales

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Abergavenny · 9.7 km
  • Free entry

About

St Martin's Church is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1201. Built in the English Gothic architecture style. Constructed primarily of sandstone. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Church in Wales. Named after Martin of Tours. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Cwmyoy, Monmouthshire, Wales". Coordinates: 51.9043°, -3.0203°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Wye SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The Church of St Martin, Cwmyoy, Monmouthshire, Wales, was begun in the 12th century, although most of the current structure dates from the 13th century. The church is most notable for its extreme tilt, the result of a landslide. This has led to many attempts to strengthen the church and prevent its collapse, through the use of massive tie beams and buttresses. The church is in the Gothic style, and has a chancel, nave, south porch, and western tower. A round-headed north window dates to the 12th century, and the nave roof has been dated to the late 13th or early 14th century. St Martin's is a Grade I listed building and an active parish church. It is dedicated to St Martin of Tours.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The church is difficult to date but the North-West window in the nave is the oldest feature, from the 12th century. The underlying geology is of Old Red Sandstone overlying marl, and processes of slippage and subsidence over the centuries have caused the tower and chancel to move in opposite directions, twisting the entire structure. The initial landslips must have occurred soon after the original construction as the medieval fabric of the church shows evidence of repairs and rebuilding in attempts to address the instability of the site. The tower is medieval and has been called "the most crooked in Britain". The church is an active church in the parish of Llanvihangel Crucorney with…

Architecture

The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone rubble with stone-tiled roofs. The church is a Grade I listed building, its listing noting its "interesting history, distinctive historic character and fine fittings".

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.9043, -3.0203
Parish
Crucorney
Postcode
NP7 7NT
Parliamentary constituency
Monmouthshire
Established
1201
Nearest railway station
Abergavenny9.7 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Martin's Church?
St Martin's Church is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode NP7 7NT), in the parish of Crucorney.
When was St Martin's Church built?
Built or established in 1201.
Is St Martin's Church a listed building?
St Martin's Church is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is St Martin's Church a protected site?
Yes — St Martin's Church is part of the River Wye SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is St Martin's Church free to visit?
Yes, St Martin's Church is free to enter.
How do I get to St Martin's Church?
Drivers can navigate to postcode NP7 7NT. It sits within the Monmouthshire parliamentary constituency.