St Mary, Tenby

Name:
St Mary, Tenby
Record Type:
Parish Church
Church code:
3666
Diocese:
St Davids
Archdeaconry:
St Davids
Parish:

Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?
This is a Grade I Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?
There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

The church is in the following National Park: Pembrokeshire Coast

Conservation Area

The church is in a Conservation Area

Buildings At Risk Status

On Buildings At Risk Register?
This church is not on the Buildings at Risk Register
 

Approximate Date

Approximate Date:
Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

Tenby is a medieval town with town walls, a significant port up to the C17 trading across the Bristol channel as well as further afield. The church spire is similar to the one in Bridgewater suggesting cross channel fertilisation. It is the subject of one of the earliest Welsh poems ‘Edmyg Dinbych (Praise of Tenby) which is to be found in the Book of Taliesan. Beneath parts of the town centre there are secret passages one of which enabled the young Henry Tudor to be spirited away to France. In more recent times Tenby has developed as a tourist town and become infamous as a destination for hen Parties. Augustus John grew up in the town and is recorded as saying “you may travel the world over but you will find nothing more beautiful”. He was also moved to remark about the ‘Five Arches’ of the town’s south gate “as a piece of cheese gnawed by rats.” Reference Buildings of Wales –Pembrokeshire 2004 The Encyclopaedia of Wales

Visiting and Facilities

The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:
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Sources and Further Information

View information on worship and access at this church on the Church In Wales web site
RCAHMW (2004) Coflein http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/103686/details/ [Digital Archive/Document]
Tina Andrew (2012) St Mary's Church Tenby [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
St Mary's Church Tenby