Earlier this month, we set off for Wales. Monmouthshire to be precise.
The occasion was our Annual General Meeting, Evensong and members' tea.

We descended on St Cadoc's, Llangattock Vibon Avel (note: the photo above was taken on a warmer, drier day!).

St Cadoc’s will be our next vesting in Wales. The medieval church was lavishly restored in 1866 by Messrs Cox & Son. Less than ten years later, in 1875, with T.H. Wyatt as the architect, the north aisle was added, the chancel extended, a porch and organ chamber added, and the interior remodelled.

St Cadoc’s possesses stained glass by three Victorian makers at their very best. The east window (1875) is by Lavers & Barraud, the chancel windows (1866) are by Heaton, Butler & Bayne, and the west window in the nave (1879) is an early work by C. E. Kempe. Other Kempe work (1884) can be found in the Rolls Chapel.

Buried in the churchyard is the Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, pioneer aviator, who died 1910 in a flying accident, the first British aircraft fatality. It was C. S. Rolls that co-founded the Rolls-Royce firm.

More on St Cadoc's upon vesting.

This fine Victorian church was packed to capacity for Evensong, where the choir was masterfully led by Andrew Greenwood, Chorus Master at the Welsh National Opera.

Below is a snippet of their rehearsal.

After our the formal business of our AGM, we made the short journey to The Hendre, once the home of the Rolls family. The family motto family motto Celeritas et Veritas (Promptness and Truth) can still be seen over the entrance porch.

The Hendre is a sprawling red-brick Victorian mansion. Much as Pevsner described 19th-century architecture, this house is a ‘fancy dress ball’ of historical periods. With Wyatt, Pope and Aston Webb all adding and extending throughout the century.

Here, we enjoyed some excellent cake and a lecture on the Rolls family by Roger James.