A short climb to views over the village and river.

The ruins of St Mary’s Church can easily be reached on foot from Tintern Abbey (approximately 20 minutes). Just walk up to the A466, cross the road and proceed up the lane where the post box is located in a wall until you reach a footpath beside a bungalow. Take the footpath and after a steep but short stroll you will reach the ruins from which you can enjoy spectacular views of Tintern Village and the River Wye. You can return either on the same route or you can bear to the left on your descent at a fork in the path and this will take you down Chapel Lane to the Abbey Mill and the village beyond.

Was probably once a retreat for Abbey monks.

The church, which was rebuilt in 1866, stands on the site of a medieval chapel, probably built as a retreat for the monks of Tintern Abbey or for the secular community growing outside the Abbey walls. Parish records date back to 1695 and reflect the more populous and hectic days of the nearby Angiddy Valley’s industrial period.The earliest monumental inscription is in memory of Francis Bradford, dated 1657, who founded the Bradford Charity.

Destruction resulted from a 1997 fire.

St Mary’s Church was at various times associated with the parishes of Llandogo, Trellech, and Llanishen as well as Tintern Parva, being finally annexed to the latter in 1902. The church became redundant in 1972 and some of the contents were sold to Clearwell Castle. The communion plate, altar cross, processional cross and candlesticks are to be found in St Michael’s church, at the other end of the village. St Mary’s was destroyed by fire in 1977.

The graveyard contains several interesting monuments including one to Peter Carr who died on the 14th of October 1913 in the Senghenydd Pit disaster and a war grave To Private B B Hall, an American citizen who enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and who died at Connaught Hospital, Farnborough on 5th March 1919 aged 22 years. The graveyard is still in use to this day.