St John the Baptist's Church, Llanrothal

St John the Baptist’s Church stands in a quiet field near the River Monnow, close to the Wales–England border. It is a small medieval building, mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries, with a plain nave and chancel. The church was founded by the Celtic Saint Ridol long ago and rededicated to John the Baptist in Norman times. A 17th-century pulpit and a brass chandelier given by Ivor Bulmer-Thomas remain inside. The font is Norman, carved with a cross pattée, though no link to the Knights Templar is known. The church is one of the most isolated in Herefordshire, reached by a short walk from the riverbank. Its walls are plainly rendered, and the windows show different styles from the 12th and 13th centuries. The east window has two lights topped by a circular window. A small north porch once served as a vestry before the 20th-century restoration. The altar is a plain stone slab on two blocks. Inside, the light falls through the old windows onto the simple furnishings. The chancel’s four-light window and the nave’s trefoil-headed windows frame views of the surrounding fields. The brass chandelier hangs above the pulpit, casting a soft glow. Outside, the church looks across the Monnow valley, quiet and unchanged for centuries.