The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Neath is bypassed by the M4 to the south but lies on the A474, it is 64km west north west of Cardiff, 14km north east of Swansea and 34km south west of Merthyr Tydfil via the heads of the Valleys’ Road. The church is near Victoria Park by the junction of orchard Street with St David’s Street.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 170 Historic Wales Listing notice 11818
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
Nave 101ft x 31ft8in and 61ft high to the ridge, north and south aiusles13ft wide and 12ft high to wallplate; north and south transepts20ft 9in wide 50ft high to ridge; chancel with semi circular apse 40ftx 9ft 56ft to roof.
Reference Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
The church was designed by John Norton of London on land donated by Howell Gwyn of Dyffryn as a church for English speakers. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Gwyn on22 September 18664 and was consecrated on 29th November 1864 at a cost of £6,400; the contractor was Jones & Son of Gloucester. In many ways the church is a reminder of Keble College Oxford. In 1868 a new organ was installed by Messrs Davies & Sons of London and built by E H Salter at a cost of £400. Then in 1883 a Caen stone pulpit was installed together with a brass lectern.
Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Historic Wales Listing Notice 11818 Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The church was built in C13 Gothic style of a 5-bay nave with low aisles, north and south transepts, an apsidal chancel and a south east tower. It was built from snecked bull nosed Pennant sandstone masonry with red sandstone and Box Ground Bath stone dressings. It has steep gabled slate roofs with over sailing eaves, gable parapets and ironwork cross finials. There is a Gothic arch over the west door which has been constructed in three layers, a relieving ach in Pennant Sandstone over two layers of creamy Bath dressed stone with alternate voussoirs of red sandstone (probably from Staffordshire or the Lake District) which are staggered in the top layer to give as colourful chequered effect. The “Rhenish Tower” of five stages, in the south east corner of the building, between the chancel and the south transept, which was completed in 1869 shoots up buttressed to its crown- a slated pyramid with Broseley tiles in bands with four smaller pyramids at its base and four clock faces. Figures on the four evangelists stand at the four corners. The top story is on corbels with pinnacled roofs and ironwork weather vanes. It is known as the Vaughan Tower. Its model was the campanile of C E Street’s Westminster Church of St James the Lesser in Thorndike Street.
Reference Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Historic Wales Listing notice 11818 Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004 Welsh Stone Forum National Museum of Wales Number 14
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The cruciform plan of the church has an exuberant red brick interior with broad bands of blue Staffordshire bricks in diaper work with freestone dressings. There are alternating round and composite arcade piers with foliate capitals rising to pointed banded arches with continuous hoodmoulds. There are arch braced roofs with iron tension bars, the alternating trusses cusped with truncated colonettes on corbels. The chancel arch and the tall banded arches are similar in detail sitting on truncated double colonettes (with corbels to the transepts.) The pointed organ recess in the north wall sits below a stone medallion with Christian emblems. The fittings are contemporary with the church and include the lavish pulpit with marble shafts and bosses. In 2006/7 reordering of the church moves the magnificent brass eagle lectern into the Nave as a permanent feature. The stained glass: ‘St David with St Cecilia and the Virgin and Child’, Designer Dillwyn Morris for Glantawe Studios, 1933; ‘Scenes from the Passion and Resurrection of Christ (in the apse), Clayton & Bell, 1864-1866; ‘Scenes from the Passion’ Clayton & Bell, 1900; ‘Christ and Angels Tending Sheep’, Clayton & Bell, 1925; ‘The Risen Christ’, Celtic Studios, 1962; ‘The Miraculous Draught of Fishes’, artist John Edwards for Celtic Studios, 1967; ‘The Sower, artist John Edwards for Celtic Studios, 1967; ‘Christ with Children Brought by their Mothers’, designer Howard Martin for Celtic Studios, 1965; ‘St Christopher and St John the Evangelist’, designer Arthur L Ward for A R Mowbray & Co; , c1936; ‘King David’ c1895; ‘Let Every Thing that hath Breadth praise the Lord’, artist John Petts, 1984; ‘The Light of the World and the Good Shepherd’, designer F M Baker for G Maile & Son, c 1946; ‘Jesus and Nicodemus, 1901; ‘Two Musical Angels’, artist Frank Roperc1981; ‘Welsh Saints with Scenes from the Life of St David’, Robert J Newbery, 1912. The church has a ring of 11 bells cast in 1923 by John Taylor & Co.
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Stained Glass in Wales Historic Wales Listing notice 11818 Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004 A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead Welsh Stone Forum National Museum of Wales Number 14
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.