Penallt Old Church

Penallt Old Church stands just outside the village of Penallt in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is a Grade I listed building built mainly of Old Red Sandstone. The church dates from the late 13th or early 14th century, though its tower base is older. A 16th-century barrel ceiling and a 1539 porch remain visible today. The interior also features a four-bay Perpendicular arcade and a carved altar table made in 1916 by a Belgian refugee. The church has been restored twice, once between 1885 and 1887 and again in 1951. Inside, a coat of arms of Queen Anne from 1707 hangs on the wall. The altar table was carved by a master carver from St Rumbold’s Cathedral in Mechelen. Services continue to be held here every Sunday. Visitors find a quiet medieval church set among trees with simple stone walls and a steep slate roof. The small porch leads into a single chamber under the barrel ceiling. Light falls through clear windows onto the Perpendicular arcade and the carved altar. The surrounding lane and fields give views across the Wye Valley.