Diocese of

A Short Guide to ST PETER’S CHURCH, GOETRE,

By Friends of Museum Trust 1996 The Church of St. Peter (SO 326-059) is situated in the village of Goetre (sign rebuilding of the church. A thought-provoking tablet to D F Pritchard is posted ) on the right of the A4042 road from to inscribed, “He lit fires in many cold rooms”. . Goetre was in that part of the Lordship of Abergavenny called Pellenig [] - ‘the distant part’. In May 1872 a dispute arose between the Rector, Thomas Evans, and a poor widow, Mrs Waite, over a well of water. She had started sending her children The register dates from 1695, Rectors are listed from 1539. There are 290 to a new school, as opposed to the Rector’s own teaching establishment. seats. The oldest register contains names throughout in Welsh, many people Taking umbrage, he stopped her from drawing her pitcher of water, the well having a string of Christian names, (including the patronymic system) as was was on his land (newly acquired). Local support rallied around her, and the used before the introduction of surnames. Rector instructed his workmen to fill the well with stones, and when the cottagers dragged them off, he also added the contents of his water closet Goetre should be more correctly called Goedtref, Goed, from Coed, (Wood), and the privies of his tenants. Three months into feuding, the Rectors wife Tref (Town) giving Woodtown. The description is derived from the forest spent a day on top of the heap of stones, plying hired navvies with drink, to with which it was surrounded and it “abounded with recesses and pleasant get them to build up a cairn of 1000 tons of stones, glass etc., over a period glades dotted with white cottages”. The few byroads in the area were of 2-3 weeks. straight, deep, narrow and stony and exhibited occasional traces of paved causeways, indicating more frequent use in earlier times. Retaliation came at 5.00 a.m. one morning, when Mrs Waite, aided by 35 farmers, and (watched .by four policemen) removed a stone and the well was In the pre-Manorial period, at New Grange [] customary tenants held reopened 5 hours later. lands in the hamlets of the Manor, including Penperlleni [Goetre], here the villeins paid no rent but did one day’s work per week, together with After 1860, services in Welsh were gradually discontinued. On the death of ploughing, reaping and weeding services. The nature of the soil was poor and the Rector, Thomas Evans, the question of language in the appointment of hungry, hence the old rhyme, “Y Goetre dlawd, Heb na bara na blawd” (Poor his successor arose, and in 1887, an inquiry was held by the Bishop (who Goetre without bread or meal). himself acted as interpreter) for the Welsh-speaking witnesses. 48 people from the Parish were heard, although most of the Welsh speakers attended The earlier building that was St. Peter’s was simple in form, without a tower, the local Welsh chapels. and in Early Gothic style (dismantled c1844). Little of this edifice remains, except the S. porch where there are two sandstone heads . St. Peter’s Church Traditionally, the last wolf in was killled under the “Wolf-tree” in the was rebuilt in 1845/6. Today the church is in Early English style. “Slwch” [Llwch - the wood across the road from Goetre Hall]. It is told that in the C15 Thomas Herbert of Goetre Hall, illegitimate son of William Herbert, The Norman font, has cable moulding and semicircles. Nearby is an ancient 1st Earl of Pembroke (who lived at ) organised a great oak chest . Two alms dishes are made of yew, 1000 years old. The mediaeval Wolf-hunt to rid the country of an exceptionally mischievous wolf Herbert vestry was moved to the S. side of the nave, but its mediaeval mouldings and rushed in with his huntsman‘s knife, and was grabbed by the thigh. He dressings, remain on the W. wall. The churchyard contains yew trees , one of survived but was ever known as Gloff (the lame). John Herbert, the last of the which is 40 feet in circumference. line, left an only daughter, married c1670 to Richard Jenkins, whose successors are buried in the sanctuary of St. Peter’s. The mediaeval roof of the chancel survives. In 1903 the E. window was filled with stained glass , as a memorial to Thomas Evans, Rector at the time of the