Parish Church of St Peter

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in extensive churchyard on raised site at top of Church Street.

History

Anglican parish church of 1867-70 by R J Withers, architect of London. It replaced an earlier church of 1836-8 by W Whittington of Neath.

Exterior

Church in grey-brown snecked rubble stone with ashlar dressings, green slate roofs, terracotta ridge tiles and coped gables with stone cross finials. Nave, S aisle, tall SW tower over porch, chancel and lean-to or vestry.

Commanding SW porch tower of 3 tall stages with clasping angle buttresses, set-off at mid-height of each stage and with gabled caps at springing level of bell-lights. Battered base, big plinth moulding and 2 string courses, all carried around buttresses, plain coped parapet and recessed plated pyramid roof, where a high ashlar broach spire was intended. Bell-windows are big, plate-traceried, 2-light with louvers and blank sexfoil. Hoodmoulds over. S side lowest stage has gable over moulded ashlar doorway and narrow cusped lancet light above. W side has square stair projection to lower stage with lean-to stone hipped roof and two loops.

Nave has pointed W door and big 3-light plate traceried W window with quatrefoils and sexfoil. Apex cusped roundel. 4-window N side with big 2-light place traceried windows with foiled roundels, hoodmoulds and sill course. S side has tower in first bay then 3-window range, 3 pairs of clerestory roundels with quatrefoil cusping and plain lean-to aisle with six plain cusped lancets. Aisle has plate traceried 2-light E window. Chancel is lower with clasping angle buttresses, sill courses and varied plate traceried windows. To S one 3-light and one 2-light with varied foiled circular lights, to E a big 5-light window with 3 roundels and hoodmould. N side has one 2-light over added flat roofed vestry and lean-to organ-chamber to right.

Interior

Tall proportioned High Victorian Gothic interior with big king-post and collar trusses to nave, 3-bay S arcade with circular piers and pointed arches, hoodmoulds and carved stops. S door has segmental-pointed moulded head and applied gable above. Similar W door. Sill course under windows. Aisle has lean-to roof with corbelled wall-pieces, angle struts and pierced sexfoils in spandrels. Chancel arch on two big wall-shafts with leaf capitals. Two steps up to chancel, which has 3-bay scissor truss roof and N side moulded arch to organ recess, hoodmould stepped down to right as sill course below N window also with hoodmould, carved stops. Trefoil-headed shelf below. Three steps up to sanctuary and one to altar table, encaustic tiled floor and ashlar reredos with mosaic panels. Stiff-leaf cornice under 5-light E window. Hoodmould with carved stops. S side has two sedilia and hoodmoulds over 2 windows.

Furnishings include original carved stone font and pulpit in nave, circular font on 4-lobe base and pulpit with open half-round front of 5 marble ringed shafts. Brass eagle lectern of 1900. Organ of 1884 by Vowles of Bristol.

Stained glass: One outstanding window, W window of 1938 by Wilhelmina Geddes (1888-1955) in style of Harry Clarke of Dublin. Nave N side glass of c1924, c1917, c1918 and c1919, the last by Kempe and Tower. S aisle has E window of c1901 signed R J Newbery and first S side window similar and signed c1901; 2nd, 3rd and 4th aisle windows with strongly drawn glass of c1875-7, 5th c1931 and 6th c1950 probably by Sir N Comper. Chancel has fine E window of c1875 and S window of c1868 in strong Gothic style. N window c1950 by Powell of Whitefriars.

Monuments: a miscellaneous group from earlier church are collected in the porch including damaged Baroque plaque to Jane Lloyd of Maesyfelin, 1706, and marble monument in Gothic surround to Rev E Williams d 1820, signed D Mainwaring of Carmarthen.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as one of the most notable High Victorian Gothic churches in West Wales, important for its accomplished architectural character as well as its elevated position.