A brief history of St Mary’s Priory, Chepstow

Chepstow Priory was built in 1071 by William Fitzosbern, the cousin of William the Conqueror; in our vicar’s words ‘these buildings weren’t built to honour God, but to make a statement to the community: we have a castle, and a church. Things are changing here!’  Although in principle hundreds of people could fit into the Nave where the public attended services, in practice there were never as many as the church planned for.  Housing just a few Benedictine monks originating from the monastary in Cormeilles, Chepstow Priory had to compete with neighbouring Kingsmark Priory (in the Danes housing estate) and Tintern Abbey. The old town of Chepstow is long and narrow as it followed the line between the lands held by the Priory and the Castle.

The external west doorways have beautiful Norman decorative stonework, and inside, facing that doorway, there was originally a vaulted ceiling. People stood in church, or leant agains the wall.  Side aisles were a part of the original church.  Current arguments about the cost of heating were not considered relevant.

For nearly 500 years, the monastary ran this Roman Catholic parish church, saying the Latin Mass and chanting its Gregorian unaccompanied chants, facing forwards behind a screen. There are many better preserved churches designed in this way, such as Hereford Cathedral, which can give an impression of how the spaces worked.  The choir and chancel and other outbuildings were the preserve of the monks who spent their time attending 8 services a day, starting at 2am, to stymie the work of the devil who was particularly active at night.  In addition, they managed the land, and had to work things financially. Part of their activities were battling in the courts over land disputes with the neighbouring monastaries.

All good things come to an end, and in 1536 Henry VIII in his wisdom disbanded the monks, however the church remained because, unlike Tintern Abbey, this was also the parish church so it continued under the Anglican regime. There was no further use for the choir and transepts and they were actively pillaged since money had to be made, and so since the central tower was no longer adequately supported it collapsed in 1701.  A large pillar supporting this tower can be imagined from a base which remains at the crossing.

Three major tombs are of interest in the church. 

1. The first is the Countess Elizabeth of Worcester, and her beloved husband. It is thought she was having an affair with Thomas Cromwell, and when she became pregnant there was a row with her brother. To defend herself she denounced Ann Boleyn, for whom she was the ladies maid, on the grounds that her behaviour was much the same.  

2. The second is Margaret Cleyton, a local wealthy brewer who is depicted with her two husbands and many children, most of whom sadly died. Margaret herself lived until the age of 90 

3. The third is Henry Marten, who was one of the people responsible for putting Charles I to death, and after inprisonment in Marten’s Tower in Chepstow Castle, was buried in our church.  His remains are under a flagstone near the church entrance.

After the church tower collapsed the current tower was built at the West end,  the East end wall was bricked up, but the side aisles remained.  The church remained thus until the Victorians decided to ‘restore’ it around 1905, and what a job they did!

They knocked down the side aisles, then regretted it and started to rebuild them, before quickly running out of money.  What remains of this is a small chapel.  The south transept and choir were restored in Neo Gothic style, while the North transept was styled Neo Norman, with a mezzanine floor which was later removed.  The organ was moved from the west end to the current position next to the choir and extensively rebuilt.  They capped the design with an ornate pulpit with which to lecture their captive congregation.