St Mary's Church

St Mary’s Church stands in the small village of Carew Cheriton in southwest Pembrokeshire. The building is a Grade I listed parish church with parts that date back to the 14th century. The oldest sections are the chancel and transept, while the nave, aisles and porch belong to the 15th century. A tower was added around 1500 and originally featured pinnacles and a spire. Later changes in the 19th and 20th centuries removed the pinnacles and spire but left other alterations inside and out. The church holds tombs of local figures such as Sir Nicholas de Carew, who built the nearby Edwardian castle, and Sir John and Elizabeth Carew. Memorials in the chancel honour members of the Allen family and other leading families. The west window serves as a Crimea war memorial from 1857. Outside, the churchyard contains the Old Mortuary Chapel, also Grade I listed. Visitors find a mix of medieval and later architecture, from the 14th-century chancel to the 15th-century nave. The tower’s angle buttresses are unusual in the area. Inside, the Crimea memorial window and family tombs add historical interest. The churchyard chapel provides another Grade I structure to explore.