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Hodgeston Parish Church nave is thought to date from the 13th century, while the chancel was added during the following century. The tower was built at a later date. The present windows were added as part of this restoration, but many of the internal features were preserved in the mid-19th century.
The church is constructed in local limestone with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a nave with a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. The massive tower was unusually slender for the era, and is in four stages. On the north face of the tower is a stair turret. In its lowest stage is a 19th-century double west window over the remains of a former narrow window. There are double round-headed bell openings in the top stage, and at the summit of the tower is a parapet supported by corbels. In the north wall of the nave is a blocked doorway.
The chancel measures 9 metres by 5 metres. It has a cornice decorated with ballflowers. Along its south wall is a bench, a double piscina dating from the 14th century, and a triple sedilia; these are decorated with ballflowers, crockets and leaf finials. The carving is of high quality, and was probably paid for by Henry de Gower, Bishop of St David's. The chancel is floored with encaustic tiles. The restored east window is in Decorated Gothic style; the other windows in the chancel are in simpler style. The nave measures about 12 metres by 5 metres and it contains a Norman font. The ground floor of the tower is used as a vestry. The bells date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
References:Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.
History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.
Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.
Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.