Christchurch Govilon took centre stage on Sunday as clergy and worshippers gathered to celebrate its 150th anniversary as a separate parish from the larger parish of Llanwenarth.

The special service, lit by the original oil lamps, was taken by the Bishop of Monmouth, the Right Rev’d Richard Pain and attended by representatives from St Peter’s.

In the 1840s Llanwenarth was a large parish divided in two by the river Usk with St Peter’s at Llanwenarth Citra as the parish church.

The only means of access to the church from Llanwenarth Ultra was by ferry or road over a bridge a distance of four miles.

As the population of Govilon grew it was decided a new place of worship was needed on the other side of the river.

A small Chapel of Ease was proposed and in 1847 an application was made to Llandaff Diocesan Church Building Society to build one on land donated by the owners of Llanwenarth House.

In April 1847 the foundation stone was laid by William Williams of Aberbaiden and the first stone laid in October of that year.

The chapel was opened in September 1848 and the service taken by the Rev’d George W Gabb, Rector of the parish of Llanwenarth.

On December 6 1865 Llanwenarth Ultra became a separate parish, with the Rev George Grove, curator of St Peter’s, as its first rector.

He remained at the church until his death in 1897 and is buried in the churchyard.

During his time at Christchurch he was responsible for enlarging the church from the small chapel to the building seen today.