Church of St Peter

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on terrace above road some 200m SW of the Library.

History

Anglican parish church of 1910-11 by E M Bruce Vaughan of Cardiff in late Gothic style of unusual elaboration for the region. The church was to cost £5-6,000, reduced to £4,700 by omitting details, but eventually actually cost £6,300 without the W end bay and W front, which have never been completed. Davies & Howell of Cardiff were the contractors. The church is not aligned E-W, but SW-NE.

Exterior

Parish church, rock-faced coursed grey-brown Shanrock stone from Ireland with Box Ground limestone dressings and Bangor green slates to roofs. Coped shouldered gables with cross finials. Nave, chancel with slightly lower roof, lean-to S aisle, prominent tower on S side of chancel with SE vestry. Late Dec to early Perp Gothic style as espoused by turn-of-the-century church architects following G F Bodley. Unfinished W end walled up in red brick. Tracery is generally ogival, 2-light windows to S aisle and longer to nave N. Aisle has big SW gabled porch with pointed doorway, hoodmould, and diagonal buttresses. Small 2-light window each side, double oak doors with wrought iron hinges. Three windows to right with big 2-step buttresses between, and pointed door at extreme right, in angle to fine tower. This has raised square angles rising sheer from big plinth and clasping embattled parapet. Tall 2-light pointed and louvred bell-opening each side with pointed over-arch and narrow band of blind arcading below, over 2 narrow loops in flush ashlar. Bell-light on W is offset to left by sheer poygonal stair turret rising to ashlar cap above parapet level. S face has 3-light square-headed window, E face has similar 2-light at higher level. Vestry beyond is raised on high basement due to fall in ground and has flat parapet. Flat-headed mullion windows, 2 3-light above to S, one 2-light and door to E. Basement has 2-light S and door E. Chancel sides also have parapets, one S pointed 2-light window and 2 to N and large and fine 7-light E window flanked by buttresses. Four tall 2-light windows to nave N divided by 2-step buttresses, the E end one gable-capped.

Interior

Handsome interior in late Gothic manner, whitewashed plastered with broad nave under pointed boarded roof of 12 bays with transverse moulded ribs and gilded carved bosses. Two-chamfer chancel arch and S arcade of 4 bays, both with chamfers dying into piers. S aisle has plain lean-to roof with straight braces across from arcade. Chancel has similar roof to nave, 7 bays but with more ornate wall-plate and more frequent gilded bosses. On S is tall pointed opening into tower base, filled by large organ by Thomas S Jones, Marlborough Organ Works, London N. Chancel steps, one from nave, 3 to altar, are fronted with white tiles with red fleurs-de-lys, while paving is of Forest of Dean stone and red tiles with some green and some encaustic tiles. Ornate chancel S wall piscina and shelf next to triple sedilia with traceried stone heads. S door into vestries.
Fittings: fine quality woodwork by Clarke of Llandaff including oak chancel stalls and 2 reading desks, pulpit, doors and screen to tower at E end of S aisle. Decorative wrought iron standards to altar rails. Stained glass E window of c1930 by C.C. Powell of London, 7 lights, the Ascension with 2 prophets and 4 evangelists. Chancel N window of c1924 by R J Newbery, 'Until the day break'. Timber reredos and E end panelling of 1947 by E A Roiser of Cheltenham. Carved stone octagonal font by Clarke of Llandaff with band of floral carving with shields and cruciform shaft with marble columns in angles.
Extensive S vestries with passage between chancel and 2 rooms, one under tower with panelled timber ceiling, the other to E with plaster flat ceiling. From W vestry is York stone winding stair up tower.

Reason for designation

Included as a finely detailed early C20 church in late Gothic style.