History
The church in Caldicot was erected in the fourteenth century, probably on the site of an earlier temple from the twelfth century. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was enlarged by a northern nave and raised, as a result of the extension of the tower. In the middle of the 19th century it was renovated, the northern nave was also heavily rebuilt.
Architecture
The church from the fourteenth century consisted of a rectangular nave and a rectangular but smaller chancel on the eastern side. A tower was placed between them, the upper part of which was not completed until the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Its lower part, on the other hand, may come from an earlier church from the 12th / 13th century. In the fifteenth century, a rectangular northern aisle was added, and on the south side, a porch with a portal formed into a moulded ogee arch, flanked with relief pinnacles and late Gothic crockets. The northern aisle was opened to the older nave with five arcades based on four pillars.
Current state
The church was partially transformed as a result of early modern construction works. They especially affected the rebuilt northern aisle, which left the original inter-nave arcades and pillars. The body of the church was also significantly enlarged as a result of adding the sacristy on the north side of the tower and the chancel. Most of the windows were replaced in the Victorian period, but some are copies of earlier medieval ones. The original openings are visible in the façades of the tower. The lowest slit window on the south side is especially valuable. Inside the nave, a medieval roof truss has been preserved.
bibliography:
Salter M., The old parish churches of Gwent, Glamorgan & Gower, Malvern 2002.
Website coflein.gov.uk, St Mary’s church, Caldicot.
Website wikipedia.org, St Mary’s Church, Caldicot.