The church of St James the Great is located on the east side of the B4293 through the village. It was built in 1815 as a school, the first national school in Monmouthshire, by James Davies at the expense of the Duke of Beaufort. Davies (1765-1849) was the schoolmaster at Devauden and played an important part in the development of the village in the early nineteenth century. The nearest parish church at Newchurch was felt to be too far away for the forest-dwellers to travel so, in 1827, Davies converted the school to a church at his own expense. In 1837 he built a new school and a house for himself next to the church. The low, polygonal chancel was added in 1838.

Sources:
J.Newman, Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire (2000), p.211.
http://www.Devauden.org.uk/living-in-devauden/church.html
www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3813892

David Leighton, RCAHMW, 3 March 2015