St Catherine's Church

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently situated on the corner of School Road with Old Road.

History

Church, built 1888-91 to designs of J.Coates Carter, in collaboration with D.M.Davies of Neath. Foundation stone in west wall records that 'this memorial stone was laid by Miss Place of Neath on a site given by Edward Evans esq of Eaglesbush Neath March 1889'.

Exterior

Tall aisled hall church in austere early gothic style on a sloping site. Bull nosed snecked masonry, ashlar dressings, including irregular stressed quoins, continuous sill and impost bands, plain corbels and plinth. Steep slate roofs, canted over aisles. Raking gable parapets with cross finials. Tall slate-hung fleche with timber louvred band on ridge is the only external differentiation of nave and chancel.

Seven bay S aisle stops short of E end. Gabled and buttressed porch to left, with moulded pointed arched entrance with iron gates, and niche in gable apex above. Ovolo moulding to inner doorway. Similar detail to shallow porch at right end of aisle. 5 lancet windows between these porches, with hoodmoulds, impost and sill bands. Single lancets to W and E end of aisle. Similar detail to 8 bay N aisle, and taller lancets to gabled vestry at E end. Twin circular flues to chimney.

West end of nave has stepped 4 light lancet window with sill band clasped between stepped buttresses, and surmounted by lancet vent at apex; impost and sill band.

Tripartite stepped lancets to E end, with mullioned 2 light windows incorporated under low transom. Lancet vent at apex. Two tall lancets to S wall of chancel.

Interior

Lofty interior with 7-bay timber arcade; angle-braced posts on high stone bases. Second tier of similar arcading in blind clerestory, which houses extremely rare ventilation system comprising arched wooden shutters operated by rope and pulley system. Rendered panels between the shutters. Trefoiled profile to boarded wagon roof with King strut tie beams in upper tier.

Contemporary fittings include fine pulpit in banded granite, low stone chancel screen with iron traceried rail, and traceried reredos, its panels divided by tall finials. Bench pews are also contemporary.

Stained glass window in south aisle, Celtic Studios, 1970; E window by Heaton, Butler and Baine, 1911.

Reason for designation

Listed at grade II* as a fine, early example of the work of Coates Carter, and notable particularly for the quality of its interior, with its distinctive timber arcade and roof structure, incorporating extremely unusual timber ventilation shutters. The church also retains many original fittings.