A remarkable 900-year-old church on the outskirts of Tenby is inviting local people to discover its extraordinary history – and find out how a major restoration project has given it a new lease of life.

St Lawrence’s Church, Gumfreston, will open its doors on Saturdays during September as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days, with two special talks exploring the history of the tiny church and the people who have shaped it.

Local historian Angela Jones’ talk titled ‘Gumfreston Church – a new beginning rooted in history’, and will take place at 2pm on Saturday, September 19 and 26.

The church is cared for by Friends of Friendless Churches, the charity established in 1957 to save historic places of worship that might otherwise be lost. The charity now cares for more than 70 churches across England and Wales.

Once described as ‘the world forgetting, by the world forgot’, St Lawrence’s has quietly woven its history through the centuries. The church dates from the late 12th century and contains remarkable medieval wall paintings, including a rare depiction known as the Warning to the Sabbath Breakers. The painting shows Christ surrounded by tools and objects associated with work and is one of only four known examples in Wales.

The churchyard also contains three ancient holy wells, each traditionally believed to cure a different ailment.

But until recently, the church itself was in a state of significant disrepair. By 2023, ivy had invaded the building, slates were falling from the roof and water was penetrating the fabric, contributing to fungal decay and rot. A major programme of conservation and repair has since transformed the building.

The restoration has included repairs to the roofs and walls, the removal of damaging cement mortar and its replacement with traditional hot-mixed lime mortar, as well as work to help the building dry out.

Gumfreston church
(Friends of Friendless Churches)

Conservators have also been carefully working on the medieval wall paintings, which had been hidden beneath layers of whitewash and were threatened by damp and ivy.

The work has been supported by major grants alongside funding from Friends of Friendless Churches and its supporters. The restoration had a repairs bill of around £600,000, with the National Heritage Memorial Fund covering 74% of the project and Cadw contributing £212,932.

Visitors can also discover the church’s remarkable 14th-century bell, cast in Bristol and weighing around 200kg. It is older than the church tower and probably older than most surviving bells in Pembrokeshire.

Sally Porter, Volunteer and Community Officer at Friends of Friendless Churches, said: “There is something very special about these small historic churches. They may be modest in size, but they can hold centuries of history and some extraordinary stories. It’s wonderful to see Gumfreston coming back to life and to be able to welcome people in to discover it for themselves.”

St Lawrence’s will be open from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays during September.

Friends of Friendless Churches is also currently raising funds through A Victorian Revival, a separate £1m campaign to save two endangered churches in England and Wales. A long-standing donor is matching donations pound for pound up to £500,000, meaning every donation can have twice the impact.