Church of St German of Auxerre

Cadw's description

Location

On corner of Star Street and metal Street with entrance facing W.

History

1881-1884. By G F Bodley ((1827-1907), and T Garner (1839-1900), architects; replaced earlier iron church. Site donated by Lord Tredegar.

Exterior

Church. Free Decorated style. Pink-grey rock-faced Swelldon stone with bathstone dressings, slate roofs. Five bay nave without clerestorey but tall aisles, 3 bay chancel with flying buttresses over N and S chapels, polygonal stair turret to NW, vestry to E, tall octagonal fleche with steep slate roof and cusped belcote windows. West front has two long 2-light windows to nave, (upper half only glazed); 3-arched entrance with central doorway (statue over), blind arch to each side, stepped buttresses, 3-light aisle windows. Ashlar-faced polygonal stair turret to NW. Five-bay aisles with 3-light windows and shallow buttresses; doorway to W bay of S aisle. Three bay chancel with large 3-light windows with flowing tracery, flying buttresses over low chapels with small windows; stair turret to S. East end has stepped gabled buttresses, large tripartite window with flowing tracery. Below E end, single-storey vestry.

Interior

Elegant and spacious interior with refined lines and use of space, "strong lithe and thin". Hall church with tall nave and 5-bay aisle arcades. Boarded wagon roofs with stencilling, chancel roof has stone transverse arches on wall shafts.
Aisle elevations windows set within deep arches separated by piers. Full-height chancel arch; rood beam by Farmer & Brindley to Bodley's designs, from St Paul, Lorrimor Street , London. Chancel side windows set within deep arches separated by piers with ogee-headed doors to walkways above arches to N and S chapels (N chapel of St Agnes, S Lady Chapel). Reredos 1921-2 by Hare, in late medieval Netherlands style with gilded figures of saints; shutters added 1926-7, in memory of 30 year incumbency of 1st vicar, Father Ives. East window glass of Christ crucified, and 18 other figures by Burlison & Grylls 1900. Organ case painted and gilded with panelled balcony, by Bodley, 1887. Octagonal wooden pulpit by Bodley & Hare. Chapels to N and S of chancel have ribbed and vaulted stone roofs and wrought-iron screens to aisle entrance arches. North chapel has glass by Burlison & Grylls, and adoration of the Kings by Kempe, 1890. South chapel has (above entrance), pair of 2-light windows with flowing tracery to organ loft, and glass by Hugh Easton, 1954. West end has tripartite doorway. Font by Bodley 1898, cover by Hare. Stations of cross by Hare, 1919. Font by Bodley, 1898. Glass in N chapel, Adoration of Kings by Kempe, 1890, in S chapel, heraldic roundels by Hugh Easton, 1954.

Reason for designation

Graded I as amongst the finest C19 religious buildings in Wales. An extremely refined and elegant church by an important and influential architect.