WYVERN LEAFLET ARTWORK:Layout 5

WYVERN LEAFLET ARTWORK:Layout 5
25/1/10
11:11
Page 2
Newland
The remains of a medieval
cross stands in the
churchyard, where there is a
carpet of snowdrops in
February.
Lichens on the stonework, mosses and
delicate ferns, birds and butterflies all
add a mosaic of colour and sound to the
churchyard, creating the wonderful web
of plant and animal life to be enjoyed
even on a brief visit.
The churchyard contains a
variety of trees, providing a
good habitat for birds.
The church, dating from the
11th century, stands opposite
the 12th century castle. The
Bread and Cheese ceremony,
which goes back 900 years,
takes place at Pentecost.
Ernest Bryson, a composer
who retired to St Briavels, is
buried here. In 1922 he
installed the organ which is
based on that of Liverpool
cathedral.
Caring for God’s Acre is grateful to The Wye Valley AONB for
supporting this leaflet through The Wye Valley Sustainable
Development Fund.
Llanishen
St Dennis
Bridstow
St Bridget
Charity No 1084504
Grid Ref SO 559 046
● Refreshments available
in the nearby public house The George
Caring for God’s Acre
6 West Street,
Leominster,
Herefordshire,
HR6 8ES
Postcode GL16 7PG
●
Grid Ref SO 582 158
●
Open from about 9am to dusk
●
This leaflet describes a selection of churches and
churchyards around The Wye Valley.
English Bicknor
St Mary the Virgin
Cover photo: Penallt.
The name ‘Mitchel Troy’ is
derived from the Welsh name
Llanfihangel Troddi which
means ‘St Michael by the
Trothy’.
Grid Ref SO 501 055
●
Grid Ref SO 612 331
●
Disabled access
●
Disabled access
●
Walks signed from the
car park
●
Grid Ref SO 551 126
●
Website:
www.stdubricius@whitchurch.
org.uk
●
Grid Ref SO 550 176
Grid Ref ST 516 965
The circular nature of the
churchyard indicates that this
is a Celtic site of about the
9th century. The church is
dedicated to St Arvan and
legend has it that he was a
9th century Hermit who
supported himself by fishing
for salmon in the River Wye
and was drowned when his
coracle capsized.
Woolhope
St George
●
●
Disabled access
●
Refreshments available at The
Crown next to the church
●
Patronal festival on Sunday
nearest to 23rd April with a
parish walk on the Saturday.
See website through
www.hereford.anglican.org
●
Grid Ref SO 612 357
situated in a field on the
eastern edge of Trellech
Village.
The churchyard has an
unusual lychgate and the
medieval churchyard cross
comprises a stone pedestal
upon which once stood a
large ancient cross.
Open at weekends only. Key
available at other times –
see notice board
The church dates from 1157,
and the distinctive lychgate,
known by its Anglo-Saxon
name ‘The Skallenge’, dates
from 1581.
Wherever you happen to be in The
Wye Valley you are within easy reach
of a Parish church and churchyard.
The Wye Valley AONB is an
internationally important
protected landscape containing
some of the most beautiful
lowland scenery in Britain. The
92km stretch of the River Wye
winds down the valley through
spectacular limestone gorge
scenery and dense ravine
woodlands. Superb wildlife,
intriguing archaeological and
industrial remains and impressive
geological features all make it into
one of the most fascinating Areas
of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
●
The churchyard, entered
through a lychgate, has the
remains of a cross, probably
of the 15th century. In spring
it is rich in flowers -
Details of church opening times and disabled access appear inside to
help you make the most of your visit. Pick up the leaflet 'Discover the
Wye Valley on foot and by bus' from Tourist Information Centres and
local village shops - or e-mail information@wyevalleyaonb.org.uk
Refreshments available at local
public house
Open daily
●
Mitchel Troy
St Mary’s Priory
Please don’t forget to leave a donation at the church and sign the
visitors’ book.
Open during daylight hours
●
This spacious church with its
tall spire was rebuilt in 1250
after the then larger town of
Trellech was sacked. A 17th
century sundial, standing near
the font, is carved with
celebrated local features: the
old castle mound, three
prehistoric stones and ‘The
Virtuous Well’, which is
snowdrops, primroses,
crocus, wood anemones,
daffodils, cowslips,
marguerites, red campion,
sweet violets, herb robert and
clover.
●
●
Open during daylight hours
Open during daylight hours
This unique landscape straddles
the border between England and
Wales. It includes areas within
Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean,
Herefordshire and
Monmouthshire. The AONB is
one of 49 throughout England,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
The church at Walford was
built at a fordable crossing of
the River Wye in about 1240.
It was rebuilt in 1887 after
being struck by lightning when
the tower and bells fell down.
Items of interest include a
15th century eight-sided font
Trellech
St Nicholas
Open daily
●
Grid Ref SO 492 104
The churchyard has an
unusual stone lychgate, near
to which stands a four-sided
sundial.
●
Caring for God’s Acre is a small, independent charity supporting the
conservation of churchyards and burial grounds.
Grid Ref SO 586 204
●
St Arvans
St Arvan
●
It provides advice and has a website, www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk
Open daily
●
Open during daylight hours
Springtime is full of colour
with wild daffodils and cherry
blossom amongst the old
cedar and yew trees. The
renowned Tulip tree is over
300 years old and blooms in
July. Of interest is a restored
tomb, which remembers the
founder of Toronto, John
Simcoe.
Why not take time to explore the
wealth of interest and enjoy the
peace and quiet of these
churchyards or ‘Living Sanctuaries’,
as they have become known?
You can become a ‘Friend of Caring for God’s Acre’
●
This Norman church is set
within the bailey of the now
vanished castle. The
churchyard grassland
supports many wildflowers,
from snowdrops, crocuses
and violets in the spring
through to summer flowering
cranesbill, and purple selfheal. Veteran yew trees and
lichen-covered tombstones
add contrast to the beauty
and variety of the churchyard.
Green woodpeckers visit to
feed on yellow meadow ants.
Walford
St Michael and All
Angels
●
The churchyard has a 15th
century churchyard cross,
now a scheduled ancient
monument. A tump, situated
behind the church, dates
from the time of the Roman
invasion.
with Tudor rose decoration.
St Briavels
St Mary the Virgin
The church, which is still
mainly 15th century with a
Victorian addition in 1846,
stands on the banks of the
River Wye on the site of a
former Celtic church dated
765 AD. The churchyard,
which may be entered through
a Lychgate, a Victorian lantern
gate or a Kissing gate,
Open daily
Grid Ref SO 532 007
●
Tel: 01568 611154
●
Staunton
All Saints
Set in meadows on the banks
of the Wye, the church here
dates back some 700 years. It
is dedicated to St Dubricius
who lived and preached in the
area during the 6th century.
Disabled access when the
church is in use
Buses from Chepstow and
Monmouth stop at the
Lychgate
Whitchurch
St Dubricius
St. Michael’s is a secluded
church built on the site of an
earlier Saxon church. Rebuilt
around 1390 it was restored
in 1887. The land at Sollers
Hope passed to the
Whittington family between
1300 and 1546 and the
fourth son was Dick
Whittington of London
mayoral fame.
●
●
Surveyed for wildlife in 2007,
the churchyard has a
conservation management
plan. You will see a variety of
flowering plants and a fine old
yew tree providing a valuable
habitat for wildlife.
You will find Victorian and
medieval church buildings set
within churchyards where the
abundance of plant and animal
life, the carved stonework and the
story of people who lived in The Wye
Valley can be discovered.
e-mail: info@cfga.fsnet.co.uk
Refreshments available close by
at hotels, public houses and the
Old Tintern Station
●
Open daily
●
●
Gravestones made from local material
and by local craftsmen record over 300
years of history, the earliest being from
the 17th and 18th centuries.
Grid Ref SO 475 032
●
Disabled Access – one small
step at the church door
Hewelsfield
Grid ref SO 584 248
● Open March to Sept, Other
months key on application
●
Sollers Hope
St Michael
the celebrated metallurgist, is
buried here.
Spring and summer flowering
grassland is managed for
conservation, with areas cut
as ‘hay meadows’.
The church building dates
from around 1100 AD. The
older font may have been a
Roman altar and there is an
unusual little stone pulpit
with corkscrew stairs. The
hassocks, embroidered by
local ladies, depict wildlife in
the Forest of Dean.
Protecting wildlife
●
Preserving heritage
●
In the churchyard many of the
old gravestones are carved
with angel heads, the oldest
being 1629. David Mushet,
Involving community
Brockhampton
All Saints
Protestants broke the original
churchyard cross in 1548 and
the shaft has been re-located
behind the church as a
sundial. The present cross was
restored for Queen Victoria’s
Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Notice the unusual tea-caddy
tombs near the porch.
The grassland is managed for
its wildflowers and left uncut
until August.
Ancient churchyard crosses, old sundials,
lychgates and pagan sculpture can also
be found.
●
Open 10.30am to 4.30pm
every day
Visit in spring or summer to enjoy the
abundance of wild flowers.
The church of St Dennis, built
in 1854, replaced an earlier
thatched church, which was
itself a replacement of a 10th
century church. In an
attractive setting on the top
of a hill, the peaceful, sloping
churchyard gives fine
panoramic views of the Black
Mountains.
●
contains one grand tomb
commemorating John
Lorraine Baldwin, the founder
in 1845 of the I Zingari cricket
club or English amateur
cricket club, whose colours
were adopted by the MCC.
Ancient yew trees, possibly the oldest
living things in Britain, add to the
fascination and atmosphere of these
places.
The earliest church was a
wattle and daub Welsh
church dedicated to St. Freit,
the Celtic name for St.
Bridget. The Norman church
was consecrated in 1066 by
the Bishop of Landaff. In the
chancel is a tomb dating from
around A.D.1300, which is
either that of a child or a
'heart tomb'- a tomb that
contains just the heart of the
individual.
Tintern
St Michael
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Disabled ramps available
●
Grid Ref SO 594 322
Completed in 1902 this
church is a Grade I listed
building designed by William
Lethaby in the Arts and Crafts
style. There are examples of
the work of local craftsmen,
notably a fine Burne-Jones
tapestry.
The churchyard is entered
through a distinctive,
thatched lychgate, where
spring flowers such as
snowdrops and primroses are
followed by summer flowering
plants including orchids. The
medieval churchyard cross is
14th century.
Explore
C H U RC H E S A N D
CHURCHYARDS
in
THE WYE VALLEY
AREA OF
OUTSTANDING
NATURAL BEAUT Y
WYVERN LEAFLET ARTWORK:Layout 5
25/1/10
11:11
Page 2
Newland
The remains of a medieval
cross stands in the
churchyard, where there is a
carpet of snowdrops in
February.
The earliest church was a
wattle and daub Welsh
church dedicated to St. Freit,
the Celtic name for St.
Bridget. The Norman church
was consecrated in 1066 by
the Bishop of Landaff. In the
chancel is a tomb dating from
around A.D.1300, which is
either that of a child or a
'heart tomb'- a tomb that
contains just the heart of the
individual.
●
Open March to Sept, Other
months key on application
●
Grid ref SO 584 248
Bridstow
St Bridget
The church of St Dennis, built
in 1854, replaced an earlier
thatched church, which was
itself a replacement of a 10th
century church. In an
attractive setting on the top
of a hill, the peaceful, sloping
churchyard gives fine
panoramic views of the Black
Mountains.
●
Open daily
●
Grid Ref SO 475 032
Caring for God’s Acre is grateful to The Wye Valley AONB for
supporting this leaflet through The Wye Valley Sustainable
Development Fund.
Llanishen
St Dennis
Charity No 1084504
e-mail: info@cfga.fsnet.co.uk
This unique landscape straddles
the border between England and
Wales. It includes areas within
Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean,
Herefordshire and
Monmouthshire. The AONB is
one of 49 throughout England,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
Tintern
St Michael
● Open 10.30am to 4.30pm
every day
●
Disabled Access – one small
step at the church door
● Refreshments available close by
at hotels, public houses and the
Old Tintern Station
● Buses from Chepstow and
Monmouth stop at the
Lychgate
contains one grand tomb
commemorating John
Lorraine Baldwin, the founder
in 1845 of the I Zingari cricket
club or English amateur
cricket club, whose colours
were adopted by the MCC.
Surveyed for wildlife in 2007,
the churchyard has a
conservation management
plan. You will see a variety of
flowering plants and a fine old
yew tree providing a valuable
habitat for wildlife.
● Grid Ref SO 532 007
The church, which is still
mainly 15th century with a
Victorian addition in 1846,
stands on the banks of the
River Wye on the site of a
former Celtic church dated
765 AD. The churchyard,
which may be entered through
a Lychgate, a Victorian lantern
gate or a Kissing gate,
Walford
St Michael and All
Angels
Grid Ref SO 586 204
●
Open daily
●
Open during daylight hours
Sollers Hope
St Michael
Whitchurch
St Dubricius
●
Grid Ref SO 612 331
●
●
Open during daylight hours
●
●
St. Michael’s is a secluded
church built on the site of an
earlier Saxon church. Rebuilt
around 1390 it was restored
in 1887. The land at Sollers
Hope passed to the
Whittington family between
1300 and 1546 and the
fourth son was Dick
Whittington of London
mayoral fame.
Open during daylight hours
●
The circular nature of the
churchyard indicates that this
is a Celtic site of about the
9th century. The church is
dedicated to St Arvan and
legend has it that he was a
9th century Hermit who
supported himself by fishing
for salmon in the River Wye
and was drowned when his
coracle capsized.
Woolhope
St George
Disabled access
●
●
Spring and summer flowering
grassland is managed for
conservation, with areas cut
as ‘hay meadows’.
Grid Ref SO 551 126
●
Disabled access
●
Open daily
●
The church building dates
from around 1100 AD. The
older font may have been a
Roman altar and there is an
unusual little stone pulpit
with corkscrew stairs. The
hassocks, embroidered by
local ladies, depict wildlife in
the Forest of Dean.
Protecting wildlife
●
Preserving heritage
●
In the churchyard many of the
old gravestones are carved
with angel heads, the oldest
being 1629. David Mushet,
Involving community
Explore
C H U RC H E S A N D
CHURCHYARDS
in
THE WYE VALLEY
AREA OF
OUTSTANDING
NATURAL BEAUT Y
Brockhampton
All Saints
Protestants broke the original
churchyard cross in 1548 and
the shaft has been re-located
behind the church as a
sundial. The present cross was
restored for Queen Victoria’s
Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Notice the unusual tea-caddy
tombs near the porch.
● Open at weekends only. Key
available at other times –
see notice board
Refreshments available at The
Crown next to the church
●
● Patronal festival on Sunday
nearest to 23rd April with a
parish walk on the Saturday.
See website through
www.hereford.anglican.org
situated in a field on the
eastern edge of Trellech
Village.
the celebrated metallurgist, is
buried here.
Staunton
All Saints
Open daily
Disabled access
Grid Ref SO 550 176
Springtime is full of colour
with wild daffodils and cherry
blossom amongst the old
cedar and yew trees. The
renowned Tulip tree is over
300 years old and blooms in
July. Of interest is a restored
tomb, which remembers the
founder of Toronto, John
Simcoe.
St Arvans
St Arvan
Grid Ref ST 516 965
●
Walks signed from the
car park
● Website:
www.stdubricius@whitchurch.
org.uk
●
Set in meadows on the banks
of the Wye, the church here
dates back some 700 years. It
is dedicated to St Dubricius
who lived and preached in the
area during the 6th century.
The churchyard has a 15th
century churchyard cross,
now a scheduled ancient
monument. A tump, situated
behind the church, dates
from the time of the Roman
invasion.
with Tudor rose decoration.
The churchyard has an
unusual stone lychgate, near
to which stands a four-sided
sundial.
The church at Walford was
built at a fordable crossing of
the River Wye in about 1240.
It was rebuilt in 1887 after
being struck by lightning when
the tower and bells fell down.
Items of interest include a
15th century eight-sided font
Trellech
St Nicholas
●
Grid Ref SO 559 046
You can become a ‘Friend of Caring for God’s Acre’
It provides advice and has a website, www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk
Caring for God’s Acre is a small, independent charity supporting the
conservation of churchyards and burial grounds.
Please don’t forget to leave a donation at the church and sign the
visitors’ book.
Details of church opening times and disabled access appear inside to
help you make the most of your visit. Pick up the leaflet 'Discover the
Wye Valley on foot and by bus' from Tourist Information Centres and
local village shops - or e-mail information@wyevalleyaonb.org.uk
Refreshments available at local
public house
●
Tel: 01568 611154
Postcode GL16 7PG
●
Refreshments available
in the nearby public house The George
●
This leaflet describes a selection of churches and
churchyards around The Wye Valley.
The churchyard has an
unusual lychgate and the
medieval churchyard cross
comprises a stone pedestal
upon which once stood a
large ancient cross.
Disabled access when the
church is in use
●
Caring for God’s Acre
6 West Street,
Leominster,
Herefordshire,
HR6 8ES
Grid Ref SO 582 158
This spacious church with its
tall spire was rebuilt in 1250
after the then larger town of
Trellech was sacked. A 17th
century sundial, standing near
the font, is carved with
celebrated local features: the
old castle mound, three
prehistoric stones and ‘The
Virtuous Well’, which is
●
Grid Ref SO 492 104
Open from about 9am to dusk
●
The Wye Valley AONB is an
internationally important
protected landscape containing
some of the most beautiful
lowland scenery in Britain. The
92km stretch of the River Wye
winds down the valley through
spectacular limestone gorge
scenery and dense ravine
woodlands. Superb wildlife,
intriguing archaeological and
industrial remains and impressive
geological features all make it into
one of the most fascinating Areas
of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Grid Ref SO 501 055
Open daily
Open during daylight hours
●
snowdrops, primroses,
crocus, wood anemones,
daffodils, cowslips,
marguerites, red campion,
sweet violets, herb robert and
clover.
This Norman church is set
within the bailey of the now
vanished castle. The
churchyard grassland
supports many wildflowers,
from snowdrops, crocuses
and violets in the spring
through to summer flowering
cranesbill, and purple selfheal. Veteran yew trees and
lichen-covered tombstones
add contrast to the beauty
and variety of the churchyard.
Green woodpeckers visit to
feed on yellow meadow ants.
●
English Bicknor
St Mary the Virgin
●
Hewelsfield
The church, dating from the
11th century, stands opposite
the 12th century castle. The
Bread and Cheese ceremony,
which goes back 900 years,
takes place at Pentecost.
Ernest Bryson, a composer
who retired to St Briavels, is
buried here. In 1922 he
installed the organ which is
based on that of Liverpool
cathedral.
●
St Briavels
St Mary the Virgin
●
Mitchel Troy
St Mary’s Priory
The name ‘Mitchel Troy’ is
derived from the Welsh name
Llanfihangel Troddi which
means ‘St Michael by the
Trothy’.
Cover photo: Penallt.
Lichens on the stonework, mosses and
delicate ferns, birds and butterflies all
add a mosaic of colour and sound to the
churchyard, creating the wonderful web
of plant and animal life to be enjoyed
even on a brief visit.
The churchyard contains a
variety of trees, providing a
good habitat for birds.
Ancient yew trees, possibly the oldest
living things in Britain, add to the
fascination and atmosphere of these
places.
Visit in spring or summer to enjoy the
abundance of wild flowers.
Ancient churchyard crosses, old sundials,
lychgates and pagan sculpture can also
be found.
Gravestones made from local material
and by local craftsmen record over 300
years of history, the earliest being from
the 17th and 18th centuries.
You will find Victorian and
medieval church buildings set
within churchyards where the
abundance of plant and animal
life, the carved stonework and the
story of people who lived in The Wye
Valley can be discovered.
Why not take time to explore the
wealth of interest and enjoy the
peace and quiet of these
churchyards or ‘Living Sanctuaries’,
as they have become known?
The churchyard, entered
through a lychgate, has the
remains of a cross, probably
of the 15th century. In spring
it is rich in flowers -
Wherever you happen to be in The
Wye Valley you are within easy reach
of a Parish church and churchyard.
The grassland is managed for
its wildflowers and left uncut
until August.
Grid Ref SO 594 322
●
Disabled ramps available
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Completed in 1902 this
church is a Grade I listed
building designed by William
Lethaby in the Arts and Crafts
style. There are examples of
the work of local craftsmen,
notably a fine Burne-Jones
tapestry.
The churchyard is entered
through a distinctive,
thatched lychgate, where
spring flowers such as
snowdrops and primroses are
followed by summer flowering
plants including orchids. The
medieval churchyard cross is
14th century.
Grid Ref SO 612 357
The church dates from 1157,
and the distinctive lychgate,
known by its Anglo-Saxon
name ‘The Skallenge’, dates
from 1581.
WYVERN LEAFLET ARTWORK:Layout 5
25/1/10
11:10
Page 1
Location of featured churches around The Wye Valley AONB
Fownhope
St Mary
Hentland
St Dubricius
Hoarwithy
St Catherine
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Grid Ref SO 581 342
●
Grid Ref SO 544 264
●
Grid Ref SO 546 294
St Mary's is one of the longest
churches in the county at
36.3 metres long. The jewel of
Fownhope church is a
tympanum of the Virgin and
Child by the Herefordshire
School of Sculpture, now
detached from the doorway it
once adorned and displayed
inside the church.
The churchyard contains an
old socket stone from a
medieval cross with a more
modern shaft set in. Against
the outside wall of the
churchyard are the old stocks.
The church is dedicated to St
Dubricius or Dyfrig, a
legendary figure said to have
crowned King Arthur in the
5th century.
The churchyard, which is
managed for conservation,
has an interesting medieval
stone cross and a carpet of
snowdrops in February.
Brown long-eared and
pipistrelle bats and slowworms find refuge here.
Monmouth
St Mary’s Priory
Mordiford
An impressive Italianate
church in the Southern Italian
Romanesque and Byzantine
styles. The original chapel was
built in 1840 by the curate
Reverend Hutchinson, and
then in 1870, Prebendary
William Poole, Vicar of
Hentland, 'beautified' the
property.
Woolhope
B4224
Holme Lacy
Open most mornings
●
Accessible from Whitecross
Street
●
Refreshments available nearby
●
The Church is a Monmouth
Festival venue in July/August
●
Grid Ref SO 510 128
Fownhope
A465
Sollers Hope
Little Dewchurch
Brockhampton
How Caple
Kings Caple
Hoarwithy
From the churchyard there
are fine views of the church
architecture and the
surrounding countryside.
●
Herefordshire
Foy
Sellack
Hentland
M50
A49
Bridstow
Ross-on-Wye
Peterstow
beech and the old stone
boundary walls are covered
with lichens, mosses and
ferns. A few gravestones
remain, notably that of John
Renie (d.1832) on which
‘John Renie lies here’ appears
46,000 times!
Llandogo
St Oudoceus
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Refreshments available locally
●
Grid Ref SO 527 041
The present church, built in
1860 on the site of an earlier
16th century church, is
dedicated to Oudoceus,
Bishop of Llandaff. Eynon, a
Welsh chieftain who was
impressed by the Bishop’s
holiness granted him the
land.
The original church building
was an abbey church
belonging to the adjoining
12th century Benedictine
Priory. Since 1950 this
beautiful town churchyard has
been a green open space and
home to a variety of birds
including wagtails and rooks.
It has a fine collection of
mature trees such as copper
An ancient yew tree
dominates the churchyard,
which is set back behind a
stone boundary wall covered
with lichens and rustyback
ferns.
Walford
Penterry
St. Mary
A466
Goodrich
Peterstow
St Peter
●
Open 9am to 5pm
●
Disabled access
●
Refreshments – Two public
houses and Broome Farm
teas 1/4ml
●
Church Fete held at the
end of July
●
Grid Ref SO 564 248
tombs and a late 19th century
Cleopatra’s needle memorial.
Snowdrops, primroses and
wild daffodil flower in spring
followed in summer by bird’s
foot trefoil and meadow
buttercup. Visiting birds
include green woodpeckers
and a family of swallows nests
in the church porch every
summer.
The present church is one of
the oldest in its deanery. In
2008 alterations were made
to create a multi use space for
the community. The
churchyard has many old box
●
Open 10am until dusk
●
www.stmarysfoy.co.uk
●
Grid Ref SO 597 284
●
Whitchurch
Foy
St Mary
English Bicknor
A4136
Monmouthshire
Staunton
Monmouth
St. Mary's Church is in a
secluded location affording
fine views over the River Wye.
The original dedication was to
a Celtic saint, St. Tvyoi or
Ffwy, but the Normans
refused to recognise Celtic
saints so it was changed to
Saint Faith (Ancient French,
‘Foye’) and later to St Mary.
The present church dates
from the 13th century and
there are some fine memorials
and carvings. Look for the
Abrahall family heraldic
‘urchin’ or hedgehog on
memorials.
Mitchel Troy
Penallt
Newland
Gloucestershire
A40
Trellech
Opened on request to the vicar
●
www.penterry.org
●
Grid Ref SO 520 987
(Situated in the middle
of a field)
This little church, lit by oil
lamps, is situated on the site
of a medieval village deserted
after the Black Death in 1348.
The church field is registered
with Gwent Wildlife Trust and
supports a variety of wild
flowers – common spotted
orchid, bugle, birds foot
trefoil and other meadow
flowers. The church is on the
Tintern to Penterry circular
walk.
St Briavels
Llandogo
Llanishen
B4228
Hewelsfield
St Arvans
Itton
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Grid Ref SO 558 288
●
Open during daylight hours
from Easter to October
●
Grid Ref SO 612 305
The church, dating from the
13th century and much
altered, stands near "Caple
Tump", possibly a Norman
motte and bailey, and on a
Roman road once known as
Caple Street. In the 14th
century the vicar bequeathed
money for bread and ale. The
tradition continues today
with the distribution of Pax
Cakes on Palm Sunday. The
‘Plague Cross’, which stands
in the churchyard, took its
name from a nearby pit where
plague victims were buried in
1348.
n
er
ev
Itton with Howick
St Deiniol
●
Church key available from
adjoining house
●
Refreshments 1/2ml at
The Carpenters Arms
●
St. Deiniol concerts in
September
●
Grid Ref ST 494 953
Deiniol Wyn, the first Bishop
of Bangor, established the
original place of worship in
the 6th century. The stained
glass, pews, reredos, pulpit
and font are Victorian
additions to an older building.
Penallt
This secluded church, which
dates back to 1210, is
situated next to the parkland
of How Court, bought in the
late 17th century from the
Caple family by William
Gregory, the local vicar’s son.
He became the MP for
Hereford and Speaker of the
House of Commons.
The screen may have been
carved by Grinling Gibbons.
The peaceful churchyard
affords views across the
parkland of How Court which
is open to the public during
summer months.
The Millennium embroidery
depicts aspects of Itton village.
A well-preserved lychgate
provides entry to the
churchyard where snowdrops,
primroses and lady’s smock
grow and slow-worms find
refuge.
The base and shaft of a
medieval cross stand in the
churchyard along with some
listed table tombs.
Goodrich
St Giles
●
Open weekends 9am to 5pm
The key is available at the
village shop on weekdays
●
Disabled access
●
Grid Ref: SO 573 190
Wordsworth loved Goodrich
church and the churchyard
inspired him to write the
poem “We are Seven”. The
church dates from the 13th
century and has many
additions including a spire
renovated in 2002. A
medieval preaching cross
stands near the main church
door.
Snowdrops and primroses
flower in early spring and the
hay meadow grassland
contains anthills, made by the
harmless yellow meadow ant.
Over twenty pairs of house
martin nest under the church
eaves.
Little Dewchurch
St David
●
Open during daylight hours
●
●
Grid Ref SO 568 347
The isolation of the church
from the village led to its
closure in 1994 when it was
placed in the care of the
Churches Conservation Trust
and extensively repaired. The
church contains beautiful
memorials and stained glass
and has a long association
with the Scudamore family.
The churchyard, carved out of
a low lying meadow once
owned by the Lacys, is subject
to flooding from the River
Wye.
Open 9.30am to 5pm March
to October. Key holders listed
on notice board
●
Disabled access
●
Refreshments at The Plough
in the village
●
Website
www.stdavidslittledewchurch.
org.uk
●
Grid Ref SO 529 317
Chepstow
St Mary
●
Open during daylight hours
●
●
Grid Ref SO 568 022
Set in a beautiful and peaceful
location, this churchyard is
bright with snowdrops and
primroses in spring. Inside the
church there is an artistic
display of the plants and
animals found in the
churchyard. The ancient
hollow yew tree is believed to
date from 690AD and there
are many interesting
tombstones, the earliest
dating from 1680.
rest of the building. His
trademark open flower can be
found throughout the church.
The peaceful churchyard is
managed as a haven for
wildlife especially wildflowers,
butterflies and slow-worm.
The base of a 14th century
cross stands near the church
door and the man who in the
1930’s made claim to being
the rightful King of England,
Anthony Hall, lies buried in
the churchyard.
The circular shape of the
churchyard suggests Saxon
origins. The church tower
dates from the 14th century
and Victorian architect
Frederick Preedy designed the
Hewelsfield
St Mary Magdalene
Open – Daily 10am to 4pm
The church is manned during
summer holidays
●
Refreshments available locally
●
Events – In summer there are
concerts on Wednesday
12.45pm to 1.45pm
(light refreshments). ‘Art on
the railings’ takes place in
summer when local artists
display their work
●
Website:
www.chepstowparish.org.uk
●
Grid Ref ST 535 940
St Mary's Parish and Priory
church dates back to Norman
times and has a magnificent
chevroned west door. Much
alteration has taken place over
the centuries, but this door
remains as an entrance to a
Refreshments in the town
●
Events – Church fete in
June and biennial flower
show in August
●
Grid Ref OS 597 240
The present church dates back
to the 13th century. Of
particular interest are the 15th
century stained glass east
window and a further unique
window depicting Joseph
holding the infant Jesus.
rS
M48
Holme Lacey
St Cuthbert
Open every day
●
ve
Ri
Chepstow
How Caple
St Andrew and
St Mary
Kings Caple
St John the Baptist
●
1637’ inscribed on its base.
An interesting collection of
mature trees and old
churchyard grassland flowers
are also found here.
The churchyard contains a
14th century cross with a
more modern head, which
was reused as a plague
memorial and has ‘Plague AD
Tintern
Penterry
Ross on Wye
St Mary the Virgin
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Grid Ref SO 523 108
The 12th century Penallt Old
Church is a mile or so from
the village. The church’s
dedication is unknown. A
number of documents refer to
The Old (St Mary) Church
and also to St James, the
patron saint of pilgrims, as it
may have been a staging-post
on the route to St James’
great shrine at Santiago de
Compostela.
Newland
All Saints
●
Open daily
●
Refreshments are available
at The Ostrich Inn opposite
the lychgate.
●
www.allsaintsnewland.btik.com
●
Grid Ref SO 553 096
The large raised churchyard
contains the base of a
medieval churchyard cross
and interesting old carved
monuments. The Burial Path
from Coleford, used to convey
coffins for burial in the
churchyard, terminates in the
village.
The original 13th century
church at Newland was
replaced in the 1860s by this
impressive church known as
the ‘Cathedral of the Forest’.
Inside the building there are
ancient tombs, plaques and
beautiful stained glass.
There are glorious views over
the Wye Valley from the
churchyard, which features
one of the largest veteran
trees in the Lower Wye - a
churchyard yew.
Sellack
St Tysilio
holy place of worship,
meditation, prayer and musicmaking.
The churchyard has spring
and summer flowers, many
beautiful trees and shrubs and
lichen-rich old gravestones.
This habitat provides food
and shelter for birds, notably
the distinctive waxwing from
Northern Europe, which visit
to feed on the berries.
Mordiford
Holy Rood
●
Open by arrangement – phone
01432 870268
●
Refreshments available from
the local Moon Inn
●
The Patronal service takes
place in September on the
nearest Sunday to Holy
Cross Day
●
Grid ref SO 571 374
Holy Rood church dates from
the 12th century. A likeness of
the ‘Mordiford Dragon’
(which according to legend
lurked in woods nearby) was
displayed over centuries on
the west end of the church.
A preaching cross with a
plaque remembering the
victims of the Black Death in
1348 stands by the church
door. The churchyard stone
boundary walls are covered
with ferns. Lichens and
mosses add to the mosaic of
colour and interest in this
fascinating place.
●
Open during daylight hours
●
Disabled access apart from one
small step
●
Events – musical events take
place in August/September
●
Grid Ref SO 565 276
Situated on the banks of the
River Wye, this is the only
English church dedicated to
the 7th century Celtic saint
Tysilio, son of the King of
Powys. The decorated church
tower has a very fine spire
and the churchyard contains
a distinctive 15th century
medieval cross.
St Tysilio’s provides a home
for a variety of animals such
as frogs and toads and birds
of all kinds. Snowdrops and
primroses flower here in
spring.