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Runston Church

Lonely church of a long-lost village

Standing alone in a field, roofless Runston Church cuts a solitary sight these days. However, when it was built in the early 12th century, it was part of the ancient village of Runston, a small settlement of 20 or so houses that existed as early as the 10th century.

The village is now no more than a few ghostly bumps in the ground, but the ivy-covered church still retains its nave and perfectly arched chancel.

Opening times & prices

Opening times

1st April - 31st March Open all year

Open all year — during reasonable daylight hours

Visitor information

Dogs welcome icon

Dogs welcome

Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site.

Walking difficulty icon

Walking difficulty

Terrain: Level 2 – Easy

Drone policy icon

Drone policy

Please read our policy information about flying drones at Cadw monuments: read the guidance

No smoking icon

No smoking

Smoking is not permitted.

Health & Safety icon

Health & Safety

Care and attention must be paid when visiting this monument. It will be regularly exposed to the natural elements and may be slippery or muddy underfoot.

Appropriate footwear for the season and type of monument must be considered prior to your visit. Please only attend during the set opening hours, these have been chosen for your safety i.e. appropriate level of lighting.

Many of our monuments are located at areas of height, attention must also be paid therefore to the surrounding areas, ditches and moats when visiting.

Guardrails have been installed to prevent access to any areas of the site that we have deemed as dangerous or to prevent falls in specific areas. Please do not climb over or through any fixed installation.

Any handrail provided should be used to help you safely navigate historic steps, as these may be uneven and may be of different height.

As with all ancient monuments there is always a risk of stones being dislodged in bad weather, however, we manage this through extensive monitoring. 

Climbing may result in serious injury

There are several wild plants and flowers, although these are great pollinators, they may be poisonous to visitors and animals, we strongly advise you not to touch or allow dogs to eat any vegetation.

There may be shared access or neighbouring farmland that may involve the presence of grazing cattle or farm animals.

Please watch our health & safety film before visiting Cadw sites.

Iechyd a Diogelwch / Health and Safety

Please report any anti-social behaviour such as climbing, setting fires, graffiti etc. to CadwAccidentsReports@gov.wales

The following signs can be found around the site at key areas of risk, please pay attention where appropriate.

Falling masonry icon

Falling masonry

Slippery or uneven surfaces icon

Slippery or uneven surfaces

Directions

Google Map
Road: 1m (1.6km) NE of Crick, 3m (4.8km) SW of Chepstow, off A48
Rail: Caldicot 4m (6.4km).

The church is near an archery course. Take the footpath to the east of Runston Farm and follow the directional signage. The turf-covered banks of the former village are not accessible.

No designated parking.

Grid Ref: ST495916. Lat/Lon: 51.6209, -2.7305.

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