Church of the Holy Trinity

Cadw's description

Location

About 50m further along Baker Street from the Public Library.

History

1840-1842 (dated), designed by T H Wyatt. The chancel was added by Thomas Nicholson of Hereford in 1886 and the aisles by E A Johnson of Abergavenny, south in 1897 and north in 1909. Since then the church has been very little altered apart from the late C20 re-arrangement of the furniture.

Exterior

Built of coursed squared rock-faced grey sandstone with Bath limestone dressings and natural slate roofs. Nave, chancel, north and south aisles. The Wyatt church is Tudor Gothic in style in collegiate chapel form, while the added aisles are Decorated in character and the chancel is Perpendicular. Almost nothing of the original fabric is visible externally except for the west end and the roof. The west end has two 4-centred arch lancet windows in the lower wall and a 2-light one placed centrally in the gable above, coped gable and bell-cote. The north and south walls are hidden by the aisles but another Wyatt window survives at the west end of the south wall. The south aisle has five gables, all finished with limestone quoins and each with a 2-light Decorated style window. The north aisle has three gables at the west end as before then a larger gable with the main entrance, then the vestry with its small door and a 3-light trefoil headed window in a flat topped frame. This also has a 2-light pointed arch window with quatrefoil tracery facing east onto the street. The chancel has a large 4-light Perpendicular style east window and a Decorated style window in either side wall. Low pitch roofs with the chancel roof separate from the nave roof and having a east gable cross.

Interior

Five bay nave with Transitional type arcades by Johnson (see History). These have circular piers on octagonal bases and 2-centred arches. The timber west gallery in the first bay and the very low pitch timber ceiling with roll moulded main timbers are a part of the Wyatt original. The aisle roofs have lateral timber vaults to accommodate the heads of the windows. The pews are Victorian but are in a modern arrangement. The pulpit is French Gothic and dates from c1870. The altar slab is said to be medieval and to have come from St. John's parish church (see Masonic Lodge, St. John's Street). C15 type timber choir screen and an elaborate reredos.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as an early Victorian church of definite character designed by T H Wyatt which, together with the Almshouses and the Vicarage, forms a coherently designed group.