A massive stone tomb with pillars and arched roof, cover the brightly painted sculptures of a Man and his wife, with their hands clasped in prayer. The information above the tomb reads:
"The Worcester Tomb
The Figures depicted are those of Henry, second Earl of Worcester, Lord Herbert of Chepstow, Raglan and Gower (who succeeded to the title in 1526 and died in 1549) and his second wife Elizabeth, dressed in their coronation robes.
"The Benedictine priory was founded following the building of the castle in 1068. The five western bays survived to become a parish church that was added to in 1841. A Norman nave with simple arcades and the late Norman west front survive. A fine decorated doorway is not to be missed." Text Source: (
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.
St Mary's Church, Chepstow "was founded around 1072 as a Benedictine priory by William fitzOsbern and his son Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford. FitzOsbern had been granted the Lordship of Striguil by his second cousin King William in gratitude for his support in the Norman conquest of England, and was responsible for starting the building of a new castle overlooking the River Wye on the border with the kingdoms of Wales." Text Source: (
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Main events in the history of this site:
"pre 1071: Foundation - Chepstow was founded by Earl William fitz Osbern, lord of Chepstow Castle, as an alien priory of his foundation of Cormeilles in Normandy. It was the first Norman house founded in Wales.
c.1291: Wealth - According to the Taxatio Ecclesiastica the priory received £7 7s 2d annually in assized rents and 6s 8d from its courts.
1387: Royal custody - The priory was seized and handed to royal commissioners until the prior of Chepstow paid a significant sum for having retained custody of the house since the start of the war.
1391: Custody - On 13 October the king granted Chepstow Priory to Giles Wenlok, clerk, as farmer of the priory, during the French wars.
1394-1398: Custody - From 1394 until 1398 there were no monks at Chepstow; in June 1398 John Workman, a monk, was granted keepership of the farm of the priory and Benedict Cely, knight and royal marshal, was given custody of the house.
1442: Independence - Chepstow became an independent priory with a community of English monks.
1458: Custody - On 25 July Chepstow was granted to God’s House, Cambridge.
1534: Numbers - At this time the community comprised a prior (Roger Shrewsbury) and one monk who subscribed to the Act of Supremacy.
c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus the priory had an income of over £32.
1536: Dissolution - The house was surveyed on 30 May 1536 and dissolved 6-7 September that year.: Text source: (
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