The church of St. Nicholas is a handsome edifice of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with lofty spire, containing 3 bells. In 1894 the church was thoroughly restored at a cost of �2,700, of which the late Rev. Henry Ardern Lewis M.A. (the late vicar) and his wife contributed �1,250; the altar-cloth was given by Mrs. Lewis, the brass lectern by Mr. Alfred Franklin, of Trelleck, and the stained east window as a memorial to Charles Henry Crompton-Roberts esq. of Drybridge, d.1891, by his widow; the chancel has been largely rebuilt, and the church new roofed and re-seated; the old oak panelling from the reading-desk, bearing the date,1639, was inserted in the new desk: the panelled oak pulpit, dated 1640, remains; the massive oak inner door of the porch bears the initials I.H.S. and the date 1595: in the chancel is a piscina, and there is another trefoil-headed piscina in the south aisle; the west window is a Decorated insertion: the, church has 400 sittidgs. Near the church is a curious sundial, erected in 1689, it bearing the inscription: "Hic fuit Victor Haraldus": there is also in the churchyard an ancient cross on five steps, and near it a somewhat singular tomb consisting of a massive chamfered slab, supported at the ends by heavy blocks of stone carved on the exterior with crosses within circles. The register of baptisms and burials dates from the year 1763; marriages, 1773. The living is a vicarage, net yearly income �220, with 440 acres of glebe at Trelleck and residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Llandaff, and held since 1894 by the Rev. Thomas Davies M.A. of Durham University. There are two Wesleyan and two Bible Christian chapels.
Charities amounting to �24 yearly are distributed in money.
Trelleck was anciently a place of great importance, and is supposed to have been the site of a large town: it is situated on the summit of a hill, and derives its Dame of Trelleck, "the town of stones," from three stone monoliths which stand in a small field. Tradition states that they were erected by Harold in commemoration of a victory over the Britons: they are respectively eight, ten and fifteen feet high, but now incline to the east and west.
The whole of this district was formerly a dense forest, and it is probable that these stones are relics of Druidism, and that the spot whereon they stand was included within the precincts of a consecrated grove. In the vicinity of these stones is a celebrated chalybeate spring, called "The Virtuous Well."
In the village at the back of the Court farm house is a tumulus, 450 feet in diameter, supposed to be of Roman origin, encircled by a moat, and it was subsequently the site of some fortified building.
The scenery is wildly romantic. Cleddon Hall, the seat of Arthur Godfrey Burchardt-Ashton esq. is a mansion in the Elizabethan style situated in a well-wooded park at over 60 acres.
The Duke of Beaufort A.D.C. who is lord of the manor, Lieut.-Col. Edward Waugh Rumsey, of. Goodrich, Herefordshire, George Griffin Griffin esq. of Newton Court, Dixton, Charles Montague Crompton-Roberts esq., of Drybridge, Mrs. Margaret Price, of Tidenham, near, Chepstow, Mrs. Power, Mrs. Bosanquet, and the Vicar of Trelleck are the principal landowners.
The soil is sandy loam; subsoil, sandstone and gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and turnips. The area is 4,999 acres of land and 2 of water, rateable value, �2,979; the population in 1891 was Trelleck civil parish, 755, and Trelleck township, 119.
Parish Clerk: George Vaughan.
Post & M.O.O., S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office.
Alfred Franklin, sub-postmaster.
Letters from Monmouth arrive at 8.10 a.m.; dispatched at 5.15 p.m.
The nearest telegraph office is at Llanishaw, 3 miles, distant.
School Wall Letter Box, cleared 5.20 p.m. week days only.
Cleddon Hall Wall Letter Box, cleared 4.30 p.m. week days only.
COUNTY MAGISTRATES ACTING FOR THE PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION OF TRELLECK
Chairman: George Griffin Griffin esq., M.A., D.L. Newton court, Dixton, Monmouth.
Lt.-Col. James Davies D.L. The Garth, Dixton, Monmouth
Rev. Llewellyn Arnott Rees, M.A., Llandogo rectory.Chepstow.
Lt.-Col. Edward Waugh Rumsey, D.L., Charlton, Goodrich, Herefordshire
Capt. Henry Edward Walters, R.N. Caer Llan, Cwmcarvan, Monmouth
Col. James Harford Walwyn , Croft-y-Bwla, Monmouth
Clerk to the Magistrates: Thomas Robert Oakley, Priory. street, Monmouth.
Petty Sessions are held at the Court house the last tuesday in every month at noon.
The following places are included in the petty sessional division:-
Cwmcarvan, Llandogo, Llanishen, Llangoven, Llanvihangel-Tor-y-Mynydd, Penalt, Trelleck Grange, Trelleck Town, Trelleck Parish & Wolves Newton
County Constabulary Station, Samuel Davies, constable.
Schools
A School Board of 5 members was formed 10 May, 1875, for the united district of Trelleck civil parish and township; Charles Morgan, Whitelye, Tintern, clerk to the board; Joseph Finch, Trelleck, attendance officer.
Board, built in 1871, at a Cost Of �1,000, for 90 children; average attendance, 80.
Mrs. Miriam Finch, mistress.
Endowed (mixed), with an income of �33 & one acre of land for the mistress, left in 1686 by the Rev. Zachariah Babington, and derived chiefly from 16 acres of land; for 100 children; average attendance, 64.
Mrs. Susannah Williams, mistress; Geo. Vaughan, Trelleck, attendance officer.
PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL RESIDENTS
PRIVATE
Burchardt-Ashton Arthur Godfrey, Cleiddon hall
Davies Rev. Thomas M.A., Vicarage
Howell Morgan, George house
Jones John, The Hermitage
Parkyn John C., Cleiddon villa
Winter, Miss
COMMERCIAL.Baker Thomas, miller (water), Pennarth mills
Breakwell George, farmer, Pentglas farm
Brown Andrew, beer retailer
Brown William, farmer & mason, Botany Bay
Bullock Isaac, farmer, Trellech cross
Chandler Frank, farm bailiff to Mrs. Margaret Price
Crockett William, farmer, Whitelye
Crum Heber, Lion inn
Davies James (executors of), farmer, Old Park farm
Davies Richard, farmer, Gelli farm
Ellaway Arthur, ironmonger & blacksmith
Ellaway Arthur Benjamin, carpenter & wheelwright
Finch Joseph, board school attendance officer
Franklin Alfred, shopkeeper, Post office
Hall William, shopkeeper
Herbert William, shopkeeper
Jones Philip, farmer, Red Barn farm & White House farm
Jordan Abigail Elizabeth, (Miss), shopkeeper
Jordan Edwin, farmer, Beacon hill
Jorden Richard, farmer, Maryland
Kinsey Thomas, farmer, Park farm
Lewis Ernest, farmer, Cross farm
Lewis Thomas, farmer, Cae-garrw farm
Lewis Thomas, farmer, New house
Luff Jane (Mrs.), farmer, Whitelye
Morris David, farmer, Higga farm
Pick Alfred, farmer, Upper Cae-garrw
Pick Joseph, farmer, Lloysea
Preece Thomas, farmer, Beacon lodge
Roberts Albert, grocer
Roberts Edward, grocer, Whitelye
Robins John, miller (water), New mill
Spencer Thomas, farmer, Llwyni
Thomas John, Crown inn, & farmer
Thomas Thomas, farmer, Court farm
Vaughan George, parish clerk & school attendance officer
Ware James, farmer
Watkins Mark, farmer, Catbrook
Wear John, farmer, New mills
Williams Enos, farmer, Narth
Williams James, farmer
Williams Jeremiah, farmer, Catbrook
Williams Thomas, farmer, & road surveyor for Raglan & Trelleck district of Monmouth District Council
Williams Thomas, farmer,Wainy park
