The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
St Theodore’s church is in the Tailbach suburb of Port Talbot is 2km south east of the town centre along the A48 and then next to the memorial park.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 170 Cadw Listing Notice 14160
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
147ft long, 76ft wide and 60ft high.
Reference Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
A chapel (Holy Cross) had been built in the suburb of Tailbach but was not large enough to accommodate the growing population. The new church was built on a new site 1895-7 by John Loughborough Pearson which was to be his largest church in Wales. In designing the church, he took inspiration form his work on Truro cathedral. The supervisory architect was F Walker of Gloucester who had worked on Penrice castle (the main seat of the Talbot family – it was Miss Emily Talbot who paid for the church). The contractor was Messrs Shillitoe of Bury St Edmunds, the cost was £25,000 and the church was consecrated on 5 August 1897. Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Historic Wales Listing notice 14160 Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The building is ‘noble, austere, aloof and monochrome’ – J Newman, the church of a nave with north and south aisles, porches and transepts, a sanctus bellcote, chancel, a south lady chapel and a north vestry. It was built in the Early English style of local blue-grey snecked sandstone with bath stone dressings under a toile, roof. The dressed stone sanctus bellcote sits above the crossing, it is of square section with a spirelet, angle pilasters and pinnacles. There are two flatheaded openings to each side with decorative friezes above and below. Above the advanced gabled porch is a niche containing a statue of St Theodore, the niche has a trefoil head on shafts and foliate mouldings above. The building was cleaned in 1999. (It had been Pearson’s intention to build a mighty tower over the west bay.)
Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Historic Wales Listing notice 14160
Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The Early English interior is faced in dressed bath stone. The tower chamber at the west end has a vaulted roof, the 4 moulded ribs join in a circle at the apex, its arch is tall with 4 orders of moulding on 4 attached round shafts with ringed capitals and bases. The nave has 4-bay arcades with double chamfered arches on compound columns with ringed capitals and bases. The roof of the nave has a 6-bay tie beam roof with collars supported by arched braces, cusped struts are above the collar and windbraces. On the floor are quarry tiles. Similar to the tower arch are those to the transepts. The chancel arch is also of 3 orders but it more ornate, the outer order has keel mouldings na d dog-toothed enrichment and is supported on Purbeck marble shafts which rise from the string course above the 2-bay arcades. In the south chapel there is a 3-bay quadripartite vaulted roof with additional ribs to the apsidal east end. Like the aisles the ribs are supported on short attached shafts which rise from the sill band. They have dog tooth enrichments and dentils throughout. Beneath, the floor has encaustic floor tiles. The pale marble font is by Robert Davison, it has a round bowl in a square surround which is decorated with blind trefoiled lancets supported on 4 grey marble shafts with ringed capitals and bases. The octagonal pulpit is Portland stone with Purbeck marble columns to each angle. A low stone screen between the nave na dchancel has chamfered coping between which are highly ornate wrought iron gates with scrollwork and tall finials. A similar screen divides the chancel from the chapel. The stained glass: ‘Angels’, Clayton & Bell, c1897; ‘Christ Teaching the People, Clayton & Bell, 1901; ‘St Gabriel and St Michael, Clayton & Bell,1917; ‘The Baptism of Christ’, Clayton & Bell, 1927; ‘The Healing of the Sick of the Palsy’, James Powell & Sons – designed by Hardgrave, 1914; ‘Christ Healing the Sick’, Powell & Sons Whitefriars) Ltd, 1951; ‘St Theodore’, Leonard Charles Evetts, 1950; ‘Virgin Mary, Leonard Charles Evetts, 1974; Heavenly Gifts’, Leonard Charles Evetts, 1977; ‘Christ with St Theodore and St David’, Glantawe Studios – Tim Lewis of Swansea School of Art artist – designer Colwyn Morris, 1983; ‘Virgin and Child with Children’, Powell & Sons Whitefriars) Ltd,1955; ‘The Sock are Brought to Christ’, Powell & Sons Whitefriars) Ltd, 1951. The bell was cast by John Rudhall in 1827.
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Historic Wales Listing notice Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004Stained Glass in Wales A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.