Woodchester is about a mile and a half south-west of Stroud, on the W side of the Nailsworth valley. The medieval church was built on the site of a Roman villa. The remains of that church and its surrounding graveyard are about a quarter of a mile N of the present church (also St Mary’s), which was newly-built (using a few old stones) in 1863--4. The old churchyard was closed in 1884; the ruin and the surviving gravestones are included in an area scheduled as an ancient monument known as 'Woodchester Roman Villa' (Gloucestershire County Monument 107). The ruin is maintained by the Church of England.

The ruin comprises part of the N wall of the nave including a N doorway, and standing separately, but in original relative position, the chancel arch and part of the E wall of the nave.

The old church had a chancel, nave with S aisle and porch, and W tower; some stone from it was used in the Victorian building but most of it appears to have been late medieval or 15thc and no significant early remnants have been recorded.

The old church was at the northern extremity of the parish, but on the site of a Roman villa. The villa was excavated 1793--6 by Samuel Lysons, and the site subsequently reburied. The villa lay under the churchyard, and stretched some distance to the S. The house misleadingly called ‘The Old Priory’, immediately to the N of the old church, is also possibly on part of the Roman villa; it was the site of the medieval manor house. (Verey 2002; VCH Gloucs. 11).