St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Monmouth
[4] The Penal Laws against Catholics were relaxed in 1778, through the Papists Act, and Monmouth magistrates were petitioned to erect a "Public Catholick Chapel in the Town".One of the petitioners, Michael Watkins, was then the landlord of the Robin Hood Inn in Monnow Street, where Mass had been celebrated hitherto in an upper room.[8] The church includes many features, but of especial note is its association with Saint John Kemble, who was a missionary in Monmouthshire and Herefordshire.[9] The Marches were an area where the old faith continued long after the Reformation, and many of the local big houses gave sanctuary to Catholic services conducted clandestinely by priests who could suffer extreme penalties if they were discovered.[10] The church also includes an altar dedicated to the saint's memory, which was used for the celebration of Mass during penal times at Pembridge Castle: this consists of two benches that could be separated to disguise its purpose.