St Peter’s Dixton has been part of Monmouth’s history for over 1,000 years and, like the town, ’claimed’ at various times by both England and Wales.

The picturesque riverside church still hosts weekly services and regular events while tourists from across the globe sing its praises.

But the history-rich jewel in Monmouth’s crown is urgently in need of help, both financially and in practical ways.

Responsibility for maintaining the building falls to a small band of church supporters. Ten years ago they raised more than £50,000 to pay for a beautiful Welsh oak gallery, replacing one lost in 1860 - but today the whole building is at risk and the coffers are empty.

Among those fighting to secure the church’s future is Andy Smith, who has a strong personal attachment to St Peter’s. His late wife Bethia, daughter of local historian Keith Kissack, was born at neighbouring Dixton Cottage (now Haberdashers’ Monmouth School Prep) and her ashes were recently buried there alongside the graves of her parents and son.

Planned maintenance work, which started in January 2018, revealed the dangerous state of the chancel roof, pushing up the initial estimate for repair from around £45,000 to £100,000. CADW has recently given consent for a slate roof to be installed, replacing the previous stone tiles.

Careful management of Dixton’s money meant that the initial costs were covered but finding the balance will empty the church account.

Andy’s concern is that the roof of the main building is also in need of extensive repair, likely to cost upwards of £200,000, and that it will have to be waterproofed for the coming winter.

Andy says people may be surprised to learn that churches don’t receive money from the government, CADW or central Church of England for essential maintenance.

Given there has been a religious building on the Dixton site ’since this country became Christian’ he reckons it must be one of the oldest in the land and feels strongly that its future should be prioritised by the Diocese of Hereford.

Church treasurer Liz Wills shares his concern for the church’s future, with its dwindling, mainly elderly congregation of just 28 people.

"We’ve survived over the years with the income from a maintenance trust fund and another fund but we now need £61,000 to put the chancel roof back on, which will leave us with nothing," she said.

"We’d welcome support of any kind - fundraising, grants applications, help with maintenance jobs like tree pruning - and it would be wonderful to get some young people involved."

If you’d like to help please email [email protected] or call 01600 716654.

* St. Peter’s is a Grade II* listed building. The churchyard cross is also a listed building and a scheduled monument. There is reference to a church, or monastery called Llan Tydwg on the site circa 735, when it was already described as an "old church". Herring-bone stonework in the nave is likely to date back to the time of the Norman invasion. The church sits on a water meadow and brass plates inside record the heights of notable floods. The old rectory was built in 1870 on the other side of the river - which meant the vicar had to row across!