About St Mary’s Priory Church

St Mary’s church has grown from a community of Benedictine monks, who established a priory here in 1101. Since that time, there have been four churches on this site.Today, St Mary’s is a parish and civic church for the town and community of Monmouth. We are a welcoming and inclusive congregation that worships in the modern, liberal catholic tradition of the Anglican church. Our main Sunday Eucharist at 10am is choral, led by a committed voluntary choir. We host many services throughout the year for local schools and organisations, and also welcome people for quiet reflective prayer in a peaceful and holy place, the doors of which are always open in welcome.

A church has been on this site since 1101AD when it formed part of a Benedictine Priory founded by Withenoc – Lord of Monmouth c.1075 – c.1082. The mother church was located in St Florent just outside Saumur in France. After the disestablishment of the monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII, the church went into decay – Monmouth Priory was dissolved in 1536.

The church was later restored by the Georgians, under the guidance of Smith of Warwick in 1773 and further by the Victorians, under the architect George Edmund Street in 1882 at a cost of £6172.00. The spire rises to 60m. and is the work of Nathaniel Wilkinson of Worcester.

The oldest surviving part of the original church is the Norman respond set into the tower which itself is 14th century.

Today’s church is a Victorian remodelling of a Georgian church which cost just over £6000 – the original designs cost £22,000 which could not be raised.  The interior dates from 1882 and was designed to accommodate 1000 people.  Both chapels were later additions.  Many pews have now been removed and replaced by chairs. The pipe organ to the left of the chancel was rebuilt in 1992 and further dated in 1997 by Nicholson and co.

Church of St John the Baptist, Buckholt

St John’s church was a daughter church of St Mary’s Priory Church. It was established in 1889 to serve as a church for the farming community.

There are currently no services at St John’s.

History of St Mary’s

You can read more about the history of St Mary’s here.

See church booking calendar here