England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanvihangel Llantarnam St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Llanvihangel Llantarnam (simply Llantarnam on modern maps) lies in southwestern Monmouthshire roughly 2 miles northwest of the ancient Roman site & town of Caerleon and a similar distance southeast of Cwmbran. Llantarnam sits immediately west of the busy A4042 expressway which runs the length of the valley of the Afon Llwyd from Newport to Pontypool and on to Abergavenny.  Llantarnam, at the time of this transcript, was a mid-sized crossroads village on the western banks of the river supporting the Cistercian Abbey in its earliest days; a farming village engaged primarily in pastoral farming and specialising in cattle. The growth of mining and industry from the valleys to the north and west has expanded the towns of those valleys such that Llantarnam has now become contiguous with the growing town of Cwmbran becoming a suburb of the latter. Modern developments have come thick and fast, besides the Expressway which has improved road links through the valleys, the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal runs to Llantarnam's west whilst the railway line from Newport to Pontypool also cuts through the eastern part of the parish. The Afon Llwyd drains the parish southeastwards to meet the Usk at Caerleon and outlet through Newport into the outer Bristol Channel. Llantarnam is sited at around 40 metres above the sea, sitting on a low ridge above the valley, land rises to over 100 metres to the west of the canal. Parishes in "The Valleys" are often extensive and Llantarnam parish was one of these, covering almost 4,100 acre it would have supported a population of around 800 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llantarnam is not mentioned in Domesday Book being just west of its range.

The Church

St Michael's church sits on the main lane running through Llantarnam, Newport Road, the church sits on the eastern side. The most impressive feature of the church, that imposing block of a tower, is actually one of the later pieces within its fabric. The nave is far earlier, 12th or early 13th century, at the cusp of Norman into Early English Gothic styles. The nave was extensively rebuilt, along with the chancel, in the Perpendicular style leaving a single small blocked window to its northern wall to betray its early origins. As already stated the church expanded and largely rebuilt during the late 14th or early 15th century with the Perpendicular style prevalent throughout. That tower, however, dates from the Tudor period, an unusual time for there to be church building ongoing. The large northern chapel is also contemporaneous with the tower with both carrying a 16th century date. The Victorians carried out their usual restoration, here in 1869, at which time much was altered. Newport Road is of sufficient width for street parking outside the churchyard which is surrounded by a local stone wall, breached at the southern by both a set of metal gates and a style for the local footpath. The churchyard is spacious and has few obstacles to deter the photographer.