Llangatwg Feibion Afel is one of Monmouthshire’s most remote churches. As you approach from a lane through fields, you might think you have discovered a lost medieval castle.
But in the early medieval period, St Cadoc’s was a ‘mother’ church or ‘clas’ church at the centre of a large community, and one of the most important churches in the area. An early charter shows that Llangatwg had numerous daughter churches. But where are these churches now?
Dr. Madeleine Gray, Professor Emerita of Ecclesiastical History at the University of South Wales, explores the evidence for Llangatwg Feibion Afel’s pre-Norman foundation, its role as a clas church, clues to its much bigger sphere of influence, and links with Monmouth Priory.