St Nicholas' Church and the Robber’s Grave
St Nicholas' Church in Montgomery, Powys, is one of the finest medieval parish churches in Wales, a soaring, light-filled building that has dominated the small market town of Montgomery for centuries. What makes it especially remarkable among Welsh churches is both its architectural ambition — it is unusually grand for a town of Montgomery's modest size — and the presence within its churchyard of the famous Robber's Grave, a curiosity that has drawn visitors for generations and which carries one of the most compelling local legends in the Welsh Marches. The church is a Grade I listed building, placing it among the most significant historic structures in the country, and it functions still as an active place of worship while also serving as a destination for those interested in history, architecture, and folklore.
The church's origins lie in the thirteenth century, when Montgomery was a place of considerable strategic and commercial importance. The town grew up in the shadow of Montgomery Castle, built by the English crown to assert control over the Welsh borderlands, and the church reflects that era of ambition and resource. The building was substantially constructed in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, though it incorporates earlier fabric and was modified and extended in subsequent centuries. Its most celebrated interior feature is the magnificent carved oak rood screen, dating from the early sixteenth century, which stretches across the full width of the nave and is considered one of the finest examples of late medieval woodcarving in Wales. The church also contains the imposing Herbert tomb, an elaborate Renaissance monument commemorating Sir Richard Herbert and his wife Magdalen, parents of the metaphysical poet George Herbert. This tomb, dating from around 1600, is richly carved and painted, and the Herbert family connection gives the church a literary as well as historical distinction.
The Robber's Grave is the feature that lends St Nicholas' churchyard its particular atmosphere of mystery. The grave is traditionally said to belong to John Newton Davies, a man hanged in 1821 for highway robbery, who maintained his innocence to the last breath and reportedly declared that as proof of his innocence, no grass would grow on his grave for a generation. Whether through the peculiarities of the soil, the compaction of the ground from visitors' feet, or something harder to explain, accounts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries frequently noted that the grave did indeed remain conspicuously bare while the surrounding churchyard flourished with grass. The legend became well known enough to attract curious visitors throughout the Victorian era and beyond. The grave marker itself is a simple stone, worn and leaning, and even today the spot carries a slightly eerie quality that the legend amplifies considerably.
Physically, St Nicholas' Church is an imposing structure built in the Perpendicular Gothic style, with a broad, well-proportioned nave, large clerestory windows that flood the interior with light, and a sturdy square tower. The pale stone of the building, weathered and warm in afternoon sun, gives it a dignity that feels entirely in keeping with its elevated setting at the edge of the town. The interior is spacious and luminous by the standards of medieval Welsh churches, and the eye is immediately drawn to the great rood screen with its intricate tracery and surviving colour. The churchyard itself is a tranquil, slightly sloping enclosure, full of leaning headstones, ancient yew trees, and long grass in summer, with the sound of the wind and birdsong carrying across the open Montgomeryshire hills beyond the perimeter wall.
Montgomery itself is a tiny and exceptionally well-preserved Georgian market town, one of the smallest county towns in Britain, and the church sits at its northern edge where the streets give way quickly to open countryside. The ruined castle stands on a rocky outcrop just above the town and is managed by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, offering dramatic views over the Severn Valley and the English border. The town's Georgian architecture, its modest but charming collection of independent shops and cafes, and the wider landscape of rolling hills and river meadows make this corner of Powys genuinely rewarding to explore. Offa's Dyke Path, the long-distance walking route that follows the ancient earthwork boundary between England and Wales, passes very close by, making Montgomery a natural stopping point for walkers.
Visiting is straightforward. Montgomery lies just off the B4385 in Powys, roughly equidistant between Welshpool to the north and Newtown to the south, and is accessible by car in about twenty minutes from either town. Public transport to Montgomery is limited, as befits such a small settlement, so a car or bicycle is the practical option for most visitors. The church is typically open during daylight hours for visitors, though it is worth checking locally if you intend a specific visit, as opening arrangements may vary seasonally. There is no admission charge to enter the churchyard, and the church itself is free to enter when open. The surrounding town can be explored comfortably in an afternoon, combining the church and castle into a half-day itinerary, and the best time to visit is arguably in late spring or early autumn when the light is good, the crowds are minimal, and the landscape at its most appealing.