England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Penterry St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Penterry lies in eastern Monmouthshire not too far from the border with both England and with neighbouring Gloucestershire. Penterry is located roughly 4 miles north of the town of Chepstow and lies between 1 and 2 miles west of the A466 road which connects Chepstow with Monmouth. Of modern day Penterry nothing exists beyond Penterry Farm and some isolated cottages on the hillside above the Wye Valley. The area has, however, a long history of occupation, on nearby Gaer Hill lie the substantial earthworks of a hill-fort belived to be contemporary with the Roman occupation. The underlying limestone means there's no surface drainage but since the Wye is only a couple of miles to the east most water makes its way there sub-surface, and exits to the Bristol Channel through Chepstow. Penterry is sited at around 170 metres at Penterry Farm with the church higher at 210 metres in fairly dramatic countryside, Gaer Hill towers above at 260 metres falling to sea level at the Wye in a little over a mile, an attraction for hikers' who follow the Wye Valley way through the eastern edges of Penterry parish. Penterry was one of the smaller parishes of Monmouthshire covering a mere 460 acres and supporting fewer than 50 parishioners. Like most of the country west of the Wye Penterry is not mentioned in Domesday Book which has only scattered coverage for this area.

The Church

St Mary's church is one of the most isolated sited churches in the area, sitting alone amongst fields and nearly a quarter mile from the nearest road. A small church with nave and chancel combined as befits its tiny congregation the church has been here since early times. The small round-headed window in the northern wall carries the Norman Romanesque style of the 12th century whilst a square-headed eastern window is 15th century Perpendicular. These are the only medieval remnants mentioned after the lengthy restoration between 1853 & 1861 which added the ashlar bellcote, moved the southern doorway to the western face and added the timber porch. To reach the church one takes a narrow lane from St Arvans and soon taking a right fork, once level with Gaer Hill a second fork leads to the widening of the road by the gateway leading to the church, a white sign attached to the gates confirms you are in the correct spot. A pathway leads diagonally through another gate to the churchyard which has a low wall of local stone around it. As the churchyard is rather compact around the church the better views are from outside.