England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanbadock St Madoc

The Parish

The parish of Llanbadock (usually rendered without the terminal "k" these days) lies in the southern portion of central Monmouthshire roughly a half mile south of the market town of Usk. Llanbadock sits a similar distance south of the A472 which links Usk with Pontypool. Llanbadock is the western banks adjunct to the town of Usk, lying across the river of the same name as a long strip of properties either side of the lane paralleling the river, the village runs from just north of the bridge across the River Usk for almost a mile southwards. Whilst the village, itself, may be small the wider parish includes not only the rich pastures along the Usk but also a broad area of rolling countryside to its west. Both areas were largely pastoral and whilst the Usk valley held mainly cattle the western areas saw cattle intermixed with sheep as well as patches of arable farming. Naturally given its position Llanbadock is drained southwards by the Usk which runs to the outer Bristol Channel arriving through the port of Newport. Llanbadock is sited at around 20 metres above the sea within the village but land in its wider parish rises to minor peaks at 157 metres on Ty'n y Caeau Hill and 183 metres southwest of that summit. As befits a largely pastoral western parish Llanbadock parish was quite extensive with its acreage covering just under 3,500 acres within which it would have supported a population of around 450 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanbadock is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Madoc's church sits almost on the banks of the Usk about a half mile south of its bridging point. Whilst the church has medieval origins and retains features from that era it is one which was heavily modified by the Victorian restorers. The core of the church, the nave and the slightly lower chancel together with the southern porch are from the early 14th century. Whilst nominally Decorated in style they do show features such as lancet styled windows which hark back to the Early English Gothic period, that period is repeated internally by the chancel arch and screen, so perhaps better described as Transitional rather than pure Decorated. Various windows which are later show work continuing into the later 14th and early 15th centuries deploying the Perpendicular style of that era. The skinny western tower, crowned by corbelled battlements, is that final relatively early piece and is dated to the Tudor era of the 16th century. Much else relates to the extensive Victorian restoration of the early 1870s which saw both a northern aisle and vestry added as well as modifications to existing windows and a general refresh to the entire church. The entrance to the churchyard is from a short stub of a lane which heads for Llanbadoc Island starting at the village telephone box where parking may be found off the main lane. The churchyard, itself, has many trees indeed the entire southwestern corner of the church is embedded within them restricting markedly the angles available to the photographer  requiring ingenuity to obtain adequate imagery of this church.