ST MARY THE VIRGIN
WELSH NEWTON
St John's Llanrothal
As part of our parish we are fortunate to have a second church, St John the Baptist, Llanrothal - an ancient and atmospheric, whitewashed church in a peaceful setting by the River Monnow, described as "one of the most isolated churches in Herefordshire".
No longer functioning as an active church, St John’s has been in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust since 1985, but we are still able to open it for a handful of services each year.
Every Christmas Eve we have a candlelit community service at 3pm, and we also have a midsummer service and picnic on the Sunday closest to 24 June.
We are incredibly grateful to the Llanrothal residents for their help maintaining this precious church. To find out more and to donate to its upkeep, follow the link below.
History of St John's Llanrothal
St John's is a grade II* listed medieval building, thought to have been founded by a Celtic saint, St Rhyddol, and was originally named after him. Its dedication to St John the Baptist is believed to date from the Norman period.
The nave has a 12th century window in its north wall, while the other windows are from the 14th century. The lovely south window in the chancel probably dates from a little later - around 1400.
The church has no water or electricity supply, which makes for very atmospheric services!