Church of Our Lady and St Michael, Abergavenny

The Church of Our Lady and St Michael stands in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, as a Grade II* listed Roman Catholic parish church. Built between 1858 and 1860, it replaced an earlier Catholic church on Frogmore Street. The project was funded by local solicitor John Baker Gabb, with Benjamin Bucknall as the architect. Bucknall, aged 25, drew on the ideas of Augustus Pugin and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The church was designed in Decorated Gothic style, using Old Red Sandstone and Bath Stone dressings. The church remains largely unchanged since its construction, preserving its original Victorian furniture and furnishings. Simon Jenkins describes it as a bold composition of church and presbytery, highlighting its unspoilt interior. The presbytery shares the same level of preservation. Among its notable features is an exceptionally fine collection of medieval and later vestments. The intended grand tower and spire were never completed. Visitors find a nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel inside the church. The exterior combines Bath Stone dressings with slate roofs. The presbytery, built in Tudor Gothic style, complements the main structure. The church’s interior retains its original character, offering a glimpse into Victorian Catholic worship. The surrounding town of Abergavenny provides further historical context.