Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo

The Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo, Monmouthshire is a parish church built in 1859–1861. The church is dedicated to St Oudoceus (Euddogwy), an early Bishop of Llandaff who retired to Llandogo and was reputed to have died there in about AD 700. Designed by the ecclesiastical architect John Pollard Seddon, the church has a notable painted interior. It is an active parish church and a Grade II* listed building.

Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo
Church of St Oudoceus
"an elaborate belfry, a sort of pulpit in the sky"
Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo is located in Monmouthshire
Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo
Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo
Location in Monmouthshire
51°44′00″N 2°41′12″W / 51.7334°N 2.6867°W / 51.7334; -2.6867
LocationLlandogo, Monmouthshire
CountryWales
DenominationChurch in Wales
History
Statusparish church
Founded1859
Dedicated1861
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated18 July 1997
Architect(s)John Pollard Seddon
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic revival
Administration
DioceseMonmouth
ArchdeaconryMonmouth
DeaneryMonmouth
ParishLlandogo with Whitebrook Chapel and Tintern Parva
Clergy
Priest(s)The Reverend R A Dagger

History

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The site is monastic in origin and is first mentioned as a religious foundation in 625.[1] Oudoceus is recorded as having retired here and a subsequent church was constructed in the Middle Ages.[1] Nothing now remains of the earlier church.[1] The present building was designed by John Pollard Seddon and was built between 1859 and 1861. Further construction, including decoration of the interior, was undertaken in 1869.[1] The church remains an active parish church.[2]

Architecture and description

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Chancel decoration of "angels and rows of lillies"

The church is constructed of Old Red Sandstone with Bath Stone dressings, creating a polychromatic display.[3] It has a nave, roofed in Welsh slate, a chancel with vestry, two porches and a bellcote.[1] The architectural historian John Newman describes this as "an extraordinarily elaborate belfry, a sort of pulpit in the sky".[3] The style of the whole is Early French.[1]

The interior is "calmer"[3] but still elaborate, decorated with wall paintings by a German artist to the designs of Coates Carter, Seddon's architectural partner after John Prichard's death.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Cadw. "Church of St Oudoceus, Llandogo (Grade II*) (18575)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Benefices". The Church in Wales. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Newman 2000, pp. 274–5.

References

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