All Saints Chuch Kemeys Inferior
The lost church of Kemeys Inferior
Nestled on the banks of the River Usk, just opposite Kemeys House, stood All Saints Church of Kemeys Inferior. For centuries it played a pivotal role in the lives of the local community, including our family – the Skinners of Abernant Farm. Just a short walk from their home, the Skinners were regular worshippers, marking life’s milestones within its historic walls.
All Saints served as the setting for countless Skinner family baptisms, weddings, funerals, and burials. Notably, in 1912, our grandfather Donald Skinner and his six siblings were baptised together at the church. Their father, James Skinner, was deeply involved in church life, serving as a churchwarden for many years until his death in 1927. Beyond his duties at All Saints, James also chaired the Parishioners and Friends of Kemeys Inferior and Langstone.
The origins of All Saints Church remain shrouded in mystery, though it is known to have served the community for at least 500 years. Its heritage was evident in features such as a fine Roman arch, and in a 1383 reference to the “Parson of Cammeys” recorded in the Llandaff Diocesan Register. Some historians speculate that the Cemeis granted to Llandaff in the 7th century by Rhodri may have been this site, further deepening its historical significance.
All Saints Chrch also possessed a bell of particular interest. Relatively small in size, it was dated 1688 and inscribed: HOWELL IAMES, CH. WARDEN. E.E. The initials “E.E.” are especially significant, as they refer to Evan Evans I, who established a bell foundry at Chepstow in 1686. The Kemeys bell is thought to have been the first cast by the Evans foundry specifically for a Monmouthshire church, giving it notable importance. Sadly, the bell was lost during the demolition of All Saints Church.
Glimpses of All Saints Church at the end of the 19th century can be found in Kelly’s Directory of Monmouthshire (1891), where it is described as a modest but well-ordered building of native stone in the Early English style. The church comprised a chancel, nave, north aisle, and south porch, with a small western turret housing a single bell. Within, there was seating for around 80 parishioners – suggesting a close-knit rural congregation gathered within its walls.
The directory also records that the parish registers dated back to 1701, while the living, a rectory valued at £148 per year, was in the gift of Holford Cotton Risley of Deddington. From 1886, it was held by the Worshipful George Woods, Chancellor of Llandaff, who resided at Penhow, supported by the parish clerk, William Collins. A contemporary account from Coflein adds further architectural detail, noting a structure shaped over time, with elements of both the Gothic Perpendicular and Decorated styles. A blocked arch that stood in the west wall, is thought to be Norman in origin.
In 1850, the doors to the rood-loft at All Saints were opened, revealing piles of rubbish, bones, and the remains of a carved wooden figure of Christ. Known as the Kemeys Christ, this rare artifact is considered an important example of pre-Reformation devotional art. Additional fragments, including skulls and bones, were uncovered during church repairs in 1886, further deepening the site’s historical intrigue.
Scientific examination of the crucifix revealed that the wooden object was once richly decorated in vibrant colours and magnificent gold leaf. The figure was initially displayed at Caerleon Museum and later transferred in 1930 to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Art historians date the Kemeys Christ to the late 13th century, making it an invaluable connection to Britain’s medieval past.
By 1932, All Saints Church faced grave challenges as the River Usk threatened to claim it, with only five feet separating the building from a sheer 50-foot drop. Parishioners observed crumbling along the riverbank, while Reverend D. Dudlyke speculated that an underground spring beneath the church, rather than erosion, might be to blame. The Western Mail reported on the perilous situation, bringing wider attention to the church’s uncertain fate.
Despite the danger, the tiny church – one of the smallest in the country with a reduced capacity of just 40 seats – continued to attract thousands of visitors each year. The Bishop of Monmouth convened an emergency meeting to address the crisis, but although the church remained in use for another 27 years, its fate was sealed. On 15 September 1959, the Diocese of Monmouth declared All Saints Church unsafe and made the difficult decision to close it permanently.
The final burial recorded in the church register took place on 2 June 1959, for Howard Charles Badger of Little Kemeys. A courageous man, Howard spent his last years watching the slow decline of the church he loved, doing what he could to shield it from vandals who smashed its windows and hacked at its woodwork. He captured his grief in a poignant poem, Kemeys Church, lamenting how it was “disintegrating in decay upon its fast eroding perch.”
Tragically, between 1960 and 1962, the derelict church was demolished. Some of its stone was salvaged and incorporated into the extension of the cathedral at Stow Hill and the alter table went to a church in Llantrissant, but for the families of those buried there, the loss was devastating. Worse was to come. In 1969, the Secretary of State for Wales granted permission for the relocation of eleven graves to St Andrew’s Church, Tredunnock, to make way for the construction of the new Newport-Worcester trunk road.
A list of the graves to be relocated was then published in the South Wales Argus, and a special service was held on the former site of All Saints Church to mark the occasion – a solemn moment that underscored the final chapter in the church’s long history. The grief of the families was powerfully expressed in a poem by Gwen Skinner, capturing the anguish of this final disturbance: “And soon some unknown hands will lift these dear old bones and carry them away. Away to high Tredunnock’s ordered plot.”
The exhumation work was carried out by Howard Humphreys and Sons, it began on 9 September 1970, with the remains reinterred at Tredunnock on 17 September. A plan of the works still survives, allowing families to trace where their loved ones were originally laid to rest. On 19 April 1971, a special service of commemoration and dedication was held at St Andrew’s, where a “Kemeys Plot” was created in the churchyard – including a large commemoration stone. The siting of the graves meant the former parishioners could once again rest together.
Today, the site of All Saints Church survives as a scheduled ancient monument under the protection of Cadw. Sections of its stone walls still stand to a height of around one metre, while fragments of flagstones and gravestones lie scattered across the ground – enduring yet fragile links to its long and storied past. Public access, however, remains restricted, despite lengthy discussions at the time to secure a right of way to the site. Those wishing to visit must obtain permission from the neighbouring landowner before entering.
Erosion continues to threaten what remains. Reports in 2026 indicate that some of the surviving graves are now at risk, as the encroaching River Usk gradually undermines their resting places. It is a sobering prospect for a site with such deep historical roots, where the passage of time is now matched by the steady force of nature.
Although the five members of the Skinner family once buried there now rest safely at St Andrew’s, All Saints Church remains an important part of our family’s story. Though its walls have fallen, its significance endures. The site remains a vital link to the region’s medieval ecclesiastical heritage, offering a quiet but powerful connection to the past and to the lives once shaped by it.
If you have stories, memories, or photographs of All Saints Church, Kemeys Inferior, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please email us and help preserve and share its rich history. Contact: research@skinnerfamilyhistory.com