St Mary Nolton Church

Cadw's description

Location

Beside the road with churchyard to E.

History

Formerly a chapel of ease to St Mary Coity. Begun July 1885, work delayed by 1886 storm damage, consecrated November 1887 and spire added in 1897; designed by John Prichard, Llandaff Diocesan Architect, completed by Frederick Kempson.

Exterior

Early English style cruciform plan with lean-to aisles, 4-stage tower and later polygonal spire with weathervane to NW. Bull-nosed rubble masonry, freestone dressings, spire and gable parapets; stepped buttresses and plinth. Slate roofs with corbelled and coursed eaves. Western type blind lancet panelled corner tourelles flanking lucarnes over belfrey lancets; paired square headed windows below; porch with foliated capitals and stopped hoodmould to N face. Tripartite W window with bar tracery to centre over gabled porch to similar entrance. Paired lancets to aisles, alternating in the clerestory with single lancets; 4 grouped lancets to chancel S side; plate tracery E window with paterae and punched trefoil to gable. Gable ended organ chamber extends to N with petal pattern roundel above 2-light window; paired cylindrical stacks at main eaves level.

Ashlar 2-storey interior with wagon roofs, boarded over the sanctuary. 3-bay aisled nave, W bay of N aisle forming lobby under tower which has head stops by Clarke of Llandaff of Prichard and the Rector’s wife. 1 ½ bay chancel with S vestry and N organ chamber. Chamfered nave arcades on cylindrical E E piers with paired corbel responds on varied carved stops. Filleted shafts and annulettes to windows; continuous clerestory arcade, blind to chancel N side. Broad arches into organ chamber and vestry.

Interior

Fine S aisle war memorial and Gothic tryptych reredos, depicting the Adoration of the Magi, by J Coates Carter. S aisle stained glass by W F Dixon of London, 1887; E window? Seddon. Gothic furnishings.

Reason for designation

Group value.