About St Maughan’s

St Maughan’s

The church is dedicated to St Meugan, a 6th century Celtic saint. The small, beautiful church has beautiful views over the Monnow Valley. The tower is distinctive of the welsh borders, an open, wooden lantern. Above it, the weather vane bears the date 1866, commemorating the restoration by the Rolls family. The church itself is much older, with parts dating to the 13th century, and a font probably 9th or 10th century. It has a double nave supported by octagonal oak tree trunks. The story goes that these were encased in matchboard until 1935, when a curate borrowed a poker and ripped the boarding off. There was said to be “a lot of trouble about it”.

The church is now isolated, though only four miles from Monmouth, as it is down a dead end. However, until the late 18th century, the road passing the church was the main route between Monmouth and Grosmont. At that time Grosmont was the third largest town in the county of Monmouthshire.

St Maughan’s features in the final part of this video, starting at 5 minutes.