Church of St Alban

Cadw's description

Location

Situated prominently on hilltop east of centre, at junction of Alban Road and Stebonheath Terrace.

History

1911-15 Anglican church by E M Bruce Vaughan, architect of Cardiff, in brown snecked rubble stone with Bath stone dressings and slate roofs.

Exterior

Late Gothic style church of nave and aisles raised on high basement, west bellcote, elevated south porch, chancel of even height with nave, and flat-roofed south east vestries. Six-bay nave with clerestory, lean-to aisles, coped shouldered gables and tall west front with ashlar gabled bellcote of single traceried pointed arch sub-divided by centre buttress and with gabled front buttresses rising from carved corbels. Main west front is framed by buttresses with set-offs at springing level of west window and ashlar gabled caps below shoulders of main gable. Big 5-light Perp style west window, the ashlar jambs carried down to basement level, framing pair of flat-headed 3-light windows with ashlar dividing buttresses. Raised plinth. Aisle west ends have 2-light pointed windows with flowing tracery and hoodmoulds, the jambs similarly carried down to frame 2-light basement windows.

Side Elevations: Clerestory has flat-headed 3-light windows, aisles 2-light pointed windows with hoodmoulds. Clerestory is framed by gabled buttresses each end and aisles have gabled buttresses between windows. Aisle upper windows have jambs carried down to frame basement lights as on west end. On south side gabled porch is reached by ashlar-faced castellated bridge over footpath with pointed arch. Embattled parapet returns east to churchyard gates. Porch is raised on basement with west pointed door and has clasping gabled south west and south east buttresses, moulded pointed south doorway, ashlar band above broken by statue niche, shouldered and coped gable with cross finial.

Chancel has even roof line but slightly higher eaves, 2 long 2-light pointed windows to south with flowing tracery and flat-roofed vestries with coped parapet. Chancel east end has big 5-light window set high, sill course, and gabled buttresses each side. North side has one long window and gabled organ-loft raised over basement. Big paired stack on west side.

Interior

Interior: Long high interior somewhat in the manner of G F Bodley, with grey ashlar walling and Bath stone dressings. Round arcade piers with heavily moulded pointed arches, the mouldings dying into the piers without capitals. Linked hoodmoulds with finely carved stops. Cambered rear-arches to clerestory and broad chancel arch on carved corbelled capitals. Big hammer-beam nave roof with arch-braced collar-trusses.

Chancel has green and white marble floor, finely painted ribbed and panelled wagon roof with carved ridge bosses and sub-divided panels over sanctuary.

North side moulded arch to organ-loft. South side full-height moulded blank arch. On south side of sanctuary triple sedilia and piscina. Sanctuary floor in green, white and red marble.

Fittings: Carved stalls, north side organ case and south side canopy all to match. Carved wood pulpit. No stained glass or east end reredos. Ashlar bowl font with finely carved band of oak leaves and birds below rim, supported on ashlar pier with detached green marble corner shafts, moulded caps and bases.