The church lies on the Lancaut Peninsula on the east bank of the River Wye, between Tintern Abbey and Chepstow.. The strongly tidal Wye here forms the border between England (Gloucestershire) and Wales (Monmouthshire).

Easily accessed by water, which explains the location of the site in the first place (although the tidal mud is a challenge) there is no road access. Cars must park on Lancaut Lane, signposted from the B4228 Chepstow-St Briavels road,. There is a limited amount of unsurfaced parking on the left (south) side of the road but none elsewhere.

An information board beyond the parking marks the beginning of a steep, stony and sometimes slippery footpath down to the site. There is a slightly less steep footpath leading down across fields from the farm at the end of the lane, but there is absolutely no parking there.

Due to the very steep and difficult access, visiting the site requires extreme care and physical effort. Access to the churchyard and church is freely available at all times.

It would appear that Cewydd, a monk from Llancarfan, then a major ecclesiastical community near Cowbridge in Glamorgan, founded a monastic settlement on the Lancaut peninsula in the first half of the 6th century, although its fate is unknown. A church existed by the early 12th century, presumably on the original monastic site, as it possessed a splendid font, now in the Lady Chapel of Gloucester Cathedral, dated to 1120-1140.

The arcaded lead font, ornamented with seated apostles and tendrils of foliage, is testament to the importance of Lancaut at the time. The same mould was used for at least five other fonts, at neighbouring Tidenham, Frampton-on-Severn, , Oxenhall, Sandhurst and Siston, all associated with Gloucester Abbey.

The church continued as an independent parish until 1711 when it was united with neighbouring Woolaston. With a tiny population in Lancaut the church was abandoned in 1865 and the contents (including the font) removed. Some 20 years later the roof was removed and the church became the ‘romantic ruin’ that it is today.

By 1984 the building was overgrown and one arch of the double chancel arch collapsed. Local concern led to the founding of the Lancaut Church Preservation Group, including Mrs C Arno, M Fitchett, A P L James, A Joly, H S S Poyntz, I J Standing and T E Wilcox which undertook a some significant repairs: Ian Standing subsequently became a Chairman of the FoD Buildings Preservation Trust.

The church was made redundant in 1987 and ownership vested in the Gloucestershire Heritage Trust which subsequently dissolved itself without appointing a successor and the church reverted to the Crown.

In 2013 the FoD Buildings Preservation Trust petitioned the Crown through the escheat process and eventually a fresh title was created and the church vested in the Trust’s ownership for a nominal fee of £1.

Having acquired the church in 2013 the Trust raised funds to implement a conservation programme that had been originally proposed by Gloucestershire County Council and English Heritage in 2007.

The conservation works were carried out in 2014-15, specified and supervised by architect Simon Cartlidge. The structure was stabilised using stainless steel ties to prevent further movement towards the river, the fallen chancel arch was rebuilt using the original stones and the rest of the church was re-pointed and grouted.

Following completion of the repairs, Tidenham parish held a Service of Summer Celebration, September 2015, repeated in 2016. In October 2015 the Trust and the Tidenham Historical Group organised a series of illustrated talks and field trips exploring the history of the church and its environs.

Like the surrounding woods the churchyard is managed for its biodiversity by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.