St Joseph's Church

Cadw's description

Location

Large Italian Romanesque style church oriented E-W on prominent site at junction of Wordsworth Avenue and Coleridge Avenue.

History

Plans date from 1913, foundation stone laid 1914, nave complete by 1915 but construction interrupted by First World War and church in present form not completed until late 1920's. Architect F A Walters (1850-1932) of London, a leading architect of Roman Catholic churches at turn of century.

Exterior

Plan and materials: Basilican plan with aisled nave, N & S transepts, sanctuary at E end with flanking N & S apsidal chapels. At W end bases of planned towers, that to S with S facing porch. To N vestry and corridor connecting church with adjacent presbytery. Walls in grey-brown stone with rendered panels and bathstone dressings; slate roofs.

W front of nave three bays arcading over, steep gable, wheel window, shallow porch with tympanum over doorway, three windows to each side of porch. Outer bays of front are bases of unfinished towers with sloping roofs at differing levels. S return of S tower base has gabled porch, arcading over round-headed doorway; doors with elaborate strap hinges. South nave elevation of five bays each with clerestorey window with arcading over; aisle bays each have circular window. Transept has two blind arcaded bays facing W, and gable elevation of two bays with upper round window and two tall round-arched windows. Two windows to S wall of apsidal chapel.
E end has projecting gabled sanctuary at lower level; three bays with arcading over; three round-headed windows, central window placed higher. Sanctuary flanked by apsidal chapels, three bays to apses, windows in outer bays. N elevation follows S but lacks porch in tower base. Vestry (single-storey) in angle between aisle and transept, three-light and two-light shouldered windows to N; vestry and aisle obscured by long corridor connecting church with presbytery; round-arched door and two round-headed windows.

Interior

Nave of five bays with alternating cylindrical and grouped shafts; interlace capitals. Wooden boarded and panelled roof supported on corbelled wall shafts rising from arcade. Clerestorey windows flanked by blind round-headed panels. Aisles with stations of cross in shallow aedicules; round windows to S aisle, round headed doors to vestry and corridor in N aisle. To W, organ gallery over lobby with broad elliptical arch flanked by round arches. Crossing area W arch with inner order on corbels. L (north) arch has two arches at ground level with round shaft and responds, and single large arch over. Crossing area R (south) arch has two arches at ground level with square pillar and responds and two arches over.
Sanctuary chancel arch with engaged shafts, three windows with stained glass, canopied sculptural reredos to original polychrome altar has Agnus Dei flanked by Angels, Evangelists below. To sides of chancel arch statues of St Joseph and St Peter, stained glass windows over at clerestorey level. Modern polychrome marble altar. Pulpit and altar rail in inlaid marble. Other furnishings include wooden throne used by Pope John Paul II on visit to Cardiff in June 1982.

Apsidal Lady Chapel to S, polychrome marble altar; sculptured reredos of Madonna and Child flanked by male and female saints.
Apsidal chapel to N, polychrome marble altar with sculptured reredos with Christ and male and female saints.

Reason for designation

Listed as good large-scale example of style by prominent architect.

Group value with adjacent presbytery.