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The feature below was first shown on my website on 22 September 1998

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Images of Wales

22 September 1998



Three Monmouthshire Churches
Llangattock Vibon-Avel, Dingestow, and Llangovan

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.


Noticeboard

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


St Cadoc's Church

Above: 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!!


St Govan's Church

Above: 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.


St Dingat's Church

Above: 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.

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Details of each website feature (for newcomers) Direct links to each website feature (for regulars) Advance news of new developments on my website Summary of all the latest updates Gateway to Welsh Family History Archive Help for those having problems accessing my website A link to the main 'gateway' page to my entire website