Church of Christ Church Aberbeeg

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a commanding position overlooking the Ebbw Valley on a spur just S of the confluence of the Ebbw and the Ebbw Fach rivers.

History

Built 1909 when it took the place of St Illtyd's near Brynithel Llanhilleth as the new parish church. Unfinished, it was planned on a larger scale but only part of the nave was built on the cleared platform which still survives extending to W. Dedication stone laid by John Capel Hanbury, owner of the neighbouring coalfield. Architect E A Johnson of Abergavenny: his most conspicuous building is the former Town Hall at Merthyr Tydfil, and in Abergavenny he was responsible for a number of buildings including Bethany Baptist Church, Cemetery Chapel Llanfoist, King Henry VIII Grammar School and the Presbyterian Church. References in Builder and The Church Builder refer to sequence of building, the first stage being the chancel, vestry, organ chamber, transepts and part of N and S aisles (which exceeded budget); subsequently the tower was built, but only 1/3rd of nave and asiles was ever completed, allowing for a congregation of 300 rather than the 500 originally planned. E A Johnson also built the nearby Rectory, before beginning the church. The church is sited in the locality of Aberbeeg, near Trinant and Abertillery with historical links with Llanhilleth and in the community of Crumlin; its official title is Christ Church Aberbeeg, though it does occasionally appear under different names, eg Christ Church Trinant or Llanhilleth.

Exterior

Church consisting of large SE tower, single bay nave with N and S aisles and N and S transepts, chancel and NE vestry wing. Of snecked rockfaced stone with ashlar dressings and Welsh slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and cruciform finials. Dominating the S frontage is the tall tapering tower, embattled with projecting corner stair turrent, gargoyles and weathercock, large pointed arched louvred openings with cusped heads and tracery to the high ringing chamber, dividing string courses, and narrow lancets to the stairs and tower chamber; moulded plinth. Main doorway to the church is most unusually through the tower, a moulded pointed arched doorway at SE; had the building been completed a formal nave entrance would have been provided.. S transept adjacent has large 3-light window with Perpendicular-style tracery and hoodmould, similar to N. Similar 4- light window to chancel with face stops, also side lancets and diagonal buttresses with offsets. Aisle windows have grouped cusped lights in a square surround as do the clerestory windows; similar also to N vestry which has separate entrance and steps to basement. 3-light W window has similar Perpendicular-style tracery with a brick surround and the unfinished N and S wall ends of the nave.

Interior

The only two bays of the unfinished nave have half-round red sandstone piers with pale stone flat sides and moulded capitals. Boarded roof in shallow bays to nave and chancel, the latter with a dentil moulding at wallplate. Chancel arch is tall and pointed with stiff-leaf capitals; in the angle between nave and chancel are two large face corbels; below is a low kerb-type screen with canopywork. Stone pulpit with canopywork panels and stiff-leaf bands. N transept is open; to S the aisle is boarded off to form a chapel. Chancel is not rendered and is dominated by a wide stone reredos stretching across the E end with a relief sculpture of the Last Supper and surmounted by 4 figures of angels; organ to N. Metal corona light fittings.

Reason for designation

Listed primarily for its fine tower and its commanding position.