This passage forms part of historian Fred Hando’s journey through Gwent.

LLANGATTOCK Lingoed - the church and inn, with the Skirrid in the background.

In a green and peaceful valley north-east of Abergavenny dreams the beautiful village of Llangattock Lingoed.

To reach it we left the Abergavenny-Ross road just beyond Caggle Street in Llanvetherine, the narrow road edged with blue-bells leading us up and up until at a bend we drew in our breath with delighted surprise.

Ahead of us, pale blue in the silvery light, arose our Holy Mountain, the Skirrid. Below, in utter peace, framed by trees in early leaf were the church of St. Cadoc, the rectory, and the ancient inn. Every hedgerow, bush, every tree seemed full of birds, and every bird was singing, singing. I walked to the rectory to get the key of the church.

The door was opened by a happy rector's wife - or so I thought. I asked for the rector and the key, and she rippled into merry laughter.

'Gracious goodness,' she cried, 'my husband is a retired master cotton-spinner from Wigan and we have come to Heaven some years before we are due!' From Wigan!

Every one of her many windows opened on to verdant pastoral scenery, pearled here and there by fruit-blossom. Would she ever long for chimneys, and clogs, for wakes, for tripe?

Would she - she cut me short with an invitation to lunch, which I was sorry to turn down.

The south porch of the church, I found contained stone seats, a stoup, a studded oak door, and a pretty wagon-roof.

Entering the church I recognised at once that here was a place of unique appeal, of singular and rich atmosphere, from its embattled tower, past the cowslip-encircled and very ancient font, to the chancel with its treasures all sheltering under a wagon-roof which rested on moulded beams.

Gas-lamps light the church, but the organ (with its pedal-board of one-and-a-half octaves) its own candle-illumination and fragments of original glass remain in two of the windows.

In the chancel are preserved two of the carved box-pews. The pew on the south is dated 1634, and has interesting the ledge; the pew opposite is inscribed E. M., referring to Edward Morgan, of Ty Mawr. inii4the parish of Llangattock. In the floor of the chancel I discovered a stone, which, next to the font, may be the olden object in the church. Cut into the stone is a T-shaped cross with no extension of the central: reminding me of the 'Taw-crosses' of Devonshire. Llangattock Lingoed church - the church of St. Cadoc (son of St. Gwynlliw) - stands in urgent need of repair. The parishioners are endeavouring this summer to re-roof their ancient sanctuary at the cost of £1,000.

Little has changed at Llanvetherine for the Rev David Powell and is still to be seen inside the church with his splendid five-plaited beard and from the village walkers may follow a foot-path to the hilltop fortress of White Castle which is under the protection of Cadw.

Offa's Dyke Long Distance Path now passes through the village of Llantilio Cross and walkers often pause at the Hostrey inn to rest their feet and take refreshments. At the beautiful church of St. Teilo a musical festival is held every year in the spring attracting visitors from far and wide. Rockfield is timeless but a few miles away the church of Llangattock-vibon-Avel has recently been restored and if you go there, seek in a corner of the churchyard the grave of Charles Rolls.

It is generally not realised that this young man who partnership with Henry Royce and gave his name to a new standard of engineering perfection, is buried in Gwent. At Newcastle it still adorns the Wellington Arms (closed) and in late May is a site worth seeing but sadly there is still a concrete water tank on the top of Castell Meirch! The mill at Skenfrith is still in use and this quiet village remains unspoilt by development thankfully retaining its old world charm. The same may be said of Grosmont where the only real change from Hando's time is that the Angel is now the only pub.

St. Teilo's church, Llantilio Pertholey, is the beautiful sanctuary which travellers see lying between road and railway a mile and a half north of Abergavenny. The Skirrid towers beyond, its the church,and ravine very clear as my sketch indicates, from the road, whence a by-road leads to Maindiff Court on the Abergavenny-Ross road.

This extract is taken from Hando's Gwent: Volume 1, edited by Chris Baker