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.
On the north side of the A4240 Alexandra Road just west of the central crossroads in Gorseinon some 8 km northwest of Swansea.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 120
The name/dedication of the church to which the plan refers.
A brief description of the plan. eg. who created it and where it came from.
The date the plan was created.
The details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who inputted the plan.
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
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.
An Anglican parish church of 1911-3, designed by W D Jenkins of Llandeilo in the very elaborate late Gothic style also used at Ammanford church, (1911-15). The builders were R Wilkins & Son of Bristol, the tender price £7,500, the final cost said to be £11,000 or £15,500, of which nearly half was paid by the Lewis family, owners of the tin works. Significant features of the church are Arts and Craft details.
Gorseinon Tin Plate Works was owned by the Lewis family of Gorseinon and was in production from 1881 to 1923. The site was subsequently acquired by Richard Thomas & Co. who, in 1926, moderrnised and rebuilt the site. The factory became known as the Steel Company of Wales in 1947. The tinplate works closed down in 1957, and the buildings demolished in 1988.
References
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/418178/details/gorseinon-tin-plate-works
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The church has a nave with clerestory and lean-to aisles, a large 3-stage tower with a projecting stair turret, and chancel with transepts, the North transept containing a choir vestry and a NE Gable in angle to chancel containing clergy vestry and toilets.
The church is constructed in squared rock -faced masonry, of carboniferous sandstone, coursed but this varies with larger stones occasionally bridging two courses. Windows, copings, and the battlemented head to the tower are dressed in Bathstone(Oolitic limestone). Devonian sandstone is used for relieving arches over openings. The roofs are pitched and slated in thick natural slate, the nave has a hammer beam roof, the tower roof is leaded.
There is a church hall to the north side of the building.
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.
Whitewashed plastered walls beneath ornate hammerbeam roofs on corbels, 7 main arch-braced collar trusses with tracery above with 6 internediate trusses without corbels of arch bracing. Seven-bay arcades with 2-chamfer pointd arches, hoodmoulds, carved stps, octagonal piers and bases. There are wood block floors. The aisle roofs have arched braced beams on corbels. The southwest porch under the tower has a terrazzo floor.
The Chancel arch, broad 2-chamfered with a pointed inner arch on column shafts with Art Nouveau carved head corbels on each side.
In the nave are to be found a pulpit of Austrian Oak on Caen stone base with 5 squat column shafts, Gothic with ornate blind tracery, vine cornice and front figure of Good Shepherd. There is an ornate carved stone font, octagonal with traceried panels, the front panel with shield and dove, the shaft ringed by 8 green and red marble shafts with ashlar linked vine-leaf capitals.
The stained glass shows ‘Ascension with Nativity and Angel at the Tomb' 1913 A L Moore & Son; 'Good Samaritan, works of mercy and 10 pioneers of medical research' to W Rufus Lewis by G B Cooper-Abbs of J Wippel of Exeter; 'Christ, St Luke and Virgin and Child' 1960; 'The Majesty of Crucified Saviour with nativity, Baptism, Christ as Teacher and Transfiguration' with marks of Wippell and Cooper-Abbs; 'Early Life of Jesus' by Celtic Studios Swansea, probably designed by B T Evans.
8 bells are bar one original to the church made in 1913 by Charles Carr of Smethwick. The tenor was recast in 1972 by the Whitechapel foundry.
The organ is in chancel north arch in a panelled case, minimal gothic framing to pipes. Built by Nicholson and Co Organ Builders Worcester 1922-3.
Exceptionally ornate Austrian oak screen of 1925, 7 bays with openwork crocketted gables and finials over ogee crocketted arches, the gables infilled with delicate tracery, and finials between gables. Lower rail with flower and leaf motifs, open traceried panels below and inscription scrolls along bottom rails. On each of 8 posts, a statuette under crocketted finial.
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.