The church of St. Mary the Virgin, Talbenny is a grade II listed building.

Anglican parish church, medieval origins, the W wall and bellcote probably late C15 or C16. The was much restored in 1868-9 for £77, with new windows and fittings, and another nave restoration is recorded in 1887. The chancel appears to be mostly rebuilt, 1893 by D.E. Thomas of Haverfordwest for £350.

Sir Stephen Glynne, visiting in 1856, found the church neglected, noted a pointed chancel arch and indications in the chancel side walls of capitals that might have been part of arches to aisles or side chapels. On the chancel N there was a medieval trefoil-headed lancet and a slit window, the nave N door curved headed, the S door crudely pointed. Both walls and roof were whitewashed.

The interior has plastered walls, 1869 nave roof with arch-braced collar trusses. Plain pointed chancel arch with slight step in of jambs. Opening set high to left, part of former rood stair. At W end of nave, blocked window recess, which if genuine must predate the bellcote. Pine pews, screened-off W vestry and lectern of 1869. Pulpit with single-panel sides and simple cusping, and matching stalls, mid to later C20. Chancel has iron and brass standards to sanctuary rails, encaustic tile floor. E window of 1974, Risen Christ, SS Mary and Mary Magdalene, and 4 chancel lancets 1978, all by Frank Roper of Penarth, in thick slab glass sparingly leaded and the clear glass varied with applied lumps of clear glass. At the W end a much recut C13 or C14 square font with arrowhead scalloping below an incised line, round shaft and moulded round base.

The exterior of the parish church, consists of rubble stone with slate roofs and red terracotta ridge tiles. Nave and chancel of equal roofline, divided by stone coping with cross finial. Similar coping and cross to E end. W end rough masonry, probably medieval, with battered wall-base and big projecting centre battered bellcote-tower. Plain masonry with two arch-headed bell-openings and a hipped stone ridge to flat top. Stone coping to nave gable each side. Nave has plain N wall: three ashlar trefoiled lancets with stone voussoirs, arch-headed door with stone voussoirs, between first and second windows. Buttress between nave and chancel. On nave E coping, N side, a stone chimney projects. Chancel masonry appears entirely C19. Two small N lancets, traceried E window of 3 lights with octofoil head, pointed arch and hoodmould. S side has 2 similar lancets and nave S has 3 lancets similar to those on N.

Sources:
CADW Listed Building Database.
Guide book to Walton West, Talbenny & Haroldston West churches, c1985;
Archaeologia Cambrensis, 1885, p 217: Sir Stephen Glynne's 1856 note;
Pembrokeshire Herald, 17 September 1869, 11 November 1887;
Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 25 May 1892.

Photographed during aerial reconnaissance by RCAHMW on 9th Sept 2010.
L. Osborne, 6th May 2011.