Photography by John Ball - 9th September 1998 (with Agfa ePhoto307 digital camera)

I recently visited three old parishes churches situated between Abergavenny and Monmouth in the county of Monmouthshire, less than five miles from the English border. The parishes are only a few miles apart, but their churches are very different in character.

Image 1:

A notice marking an old footpath leading from a country lane down to St Cadoc's Church at Llangattock Vibon-Avel.

Image 2:

St Cadoc's church is in this beautiful and isolated setting, in a hollow, and protected on three sides by dense woodland. One wonders how the older parishioners would have gained access to the church — and having done so, how would they have returned home!!

Image 3:

St Govan's parish church, Llangovan, is also isolated from the modern world. Parts of the church date back to the 12th century. This old church is now a bat sanctuary, and is rarely used for worship. Bats are a protected species in Wales, and services can only be held here at times when the bats vacate the church.

Image 4:

The parish church of St Dingat and St Mary at Dingestow, the only church in Wales dedicated to St Dingat**. This was the least isolated of the three churches I visited, but was nevertheless quiet and peaceful.

**Correction

This statement was incorrect. The parish church at Llandovery (Llandingat Parish), Carmarthenshire, is also dedicated to St Dingat. My thanks to Anna Brueton of London for identifying this error in my original feature on the Three Monmouthshire Churches. John Ball, 3rd April 2004

Further details of St Cadoc's Church, Llangattock Vibon-Avel, St Govan's Church, Llangovan, and both the churches dedicated to St Dingat are available in my Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection.