All Saints' Church

All Saints’ Church stands in the quiet Monmouthshire hamlet of Kemeys Commander, a 13th-century parish church rebuilt in the 15th century from local limestone in the Perpendicular style. The Knights Templar once owned the surrounding estates, and the hamlet’s name recalls their commandery. A timber porch leads under a bell gable that now leans slightly off-vertical because of subsidence. Inside, the medieval rood screen and rood beam remain, rare survivals in south-east Wales. The church’s history is tied to the Kemeys family, who held the lordship until the early 18th century. In the late 19th century the architect Richard Creed carried out a restoration while the vicar was The Rev. Herbert Sheppard M.A., of Clare College, Cambridge. The Grade II* listing recognises the building’s special interest and its unspoilt medieval features. Visitors find a modest but dignified interior with the original rood screen still in place. The stone walls and simple furnishings reflect the church’s long use. Outside, the hamlet’s lanes lead past old farmsteads and the remains of Templar lands.