Catholic Church of Our Lady and St James

Cadw's description

Location

At the corner with Ffriddoedd Road; small churchyard set in the slope.

History

Built 1866 by Kennedy and Rogers, architects of Bangor; Kennedy was diocesan architect. S chapel added in 1884 and vestry/chamber to NE built in 1894 by Harold Hughes of Bangor. Erected as a memorial to Dean Cotton; cost £4,000.

Exterior

Decorated Gothic with curvilinear window tracery. Prominent 3-stage SW tower and broach spire; 6-bay triple nave plan with lower 3-bay chancel and attached NE vestry range. Snecked rubble masonry with Anglesey marble dressings; slate roofs, gable finials, corbelled eaves, stepped buttresses (gabled to chancel and plinth and cill bands).

The tower also serves as the main entrance; 2 tiers of blind gabled lucarnes; uncarved label stops. 2-light impaled trefoil louvred opening to bell stage with quatrefoil cill band over circular clock face with rounded label; heavily moulded entrance with wooden ceiled inner porch. Polygonal vice to E side. Acutely pointed and non-medieval traceried windows on chapel S face flank paired lancets - similar windows to N nave; 3-light impaled trefoil window to E face over entrance with foliage capitals. Paired and single light windows to chancel and 4-light double cusped E window. 2-light window, below punched quatrefoil, to vestry E face with stone chimney stack. Twin gabled W end with high plinth and 3-light windows. The masonry detail of the whole building is slightly unfinished.

The triangular shaped churchyard, bounded by contemporary Gothic railings, is entered from E between gate piers.

Interior

The interior has cylindrical piers to the nave with a plain 'hammerbeam' roof on uncarved springers. The S nave as a Memorial chapel. Gothic furnishings including octagonal font with marble columns. Good stained glass window of crucifixion to Lady Chapel by A Gibbs.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good gothic revival church, an ambitious composition with a fine tower and spire.