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.
This jewel of a church is to be found on the southern side of the great sandstone outcrop of Cefn Bryn on the Gower Peninsla some 16 km southwest of Swansea City Centre alongside but to the south of the A4118 South Gower Road (Gower Road when leaving the city).
The name/dedication of the church to which the plan refers.
A brief description of the plan. eg. who created it and where it came from.
The date the plan was created.
The details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who inputted the plan.
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.
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 Gothic Revival church featuring intricate and distinctive carving and craftsmanship in stone and other materials, built in 1892-94 to the design of the architect George E Halliday. Halliday was able to luxuriate in the chance of a lifetime as funds were seemingly limitless. Although replacing an older church, perhaps of the C13, which was said to be exceedingly plain, the new building was thought of as a restoration, and stands on the older foundations. Of the earlier building the stones of the chancel arch and one roof truss in the chancel are the principal items retained in Halliday's design. The work was commissioned by Miss Olive Talbot of Penrice, the sister of the patroness. Miss Talbot was a benefactress who funded a considerable amount of Anglican church restoration or building in Gower in the late C19. Her monogram appears at the head of the west window. The restoration of St Nicholas church cost about £2000. Miss Talbot died at her home in London before its completion, but not before seeing the stonework of the reredos which had been brought there and assembled for her inspection. The architect signed his work on the hinges of the nave and vestry doors. The craftsmanship in stone is by William Clarke of Llandaff, who acted also as contractor. The metalwork is by Singer of Frome and by Morgan and Williams of Cardiff, Mr Morgan being the blacksmith. The stiff-leaf style of the architectural enrichment is enlivened with miniature representations of birds and other animals, generally juvenile. Many of the human heads in the carved stonework are thought to be portraits; an angel corbel at the north east of the chancel is a portrait of the architect's daughter. Packed into this small church are 'many miniaturised versions of features familiar from the great churches of the mid C13.
References
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
A nave and chancel with a south porch and a vestry to the north. The walls are constructed from a variety of stone: rock faced pink conglomerate and grey millstone grit with the dressings in the subdued green of Quarella sandstone, the west wall is in Old Red Sandstones and Carboniferous Limestones (pale grey reef limestone with ooliths). The ashlar quoins are of Sutton Stone. The multi-arched entrance porch is made from beautifully carved Quarella sandstone with bright red sandstone pillars, most probably from the Forest of Dean. The inner arches of the porch are also multi shafted alternately grey and pink with the multiple moulded arches enriched with stiff leaf. There is a blue green slate roof. The whole building has an Early English style and is a prime example of a late C19 masterpiece.
Welsh Stone Forum National Museum of Wales
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 excellence of the building as seen from the outside is continued into the nave and enhanced into the chancel. The range of stones used is surprising: the nave floor is a local polished limestone, white Italian marble, and red and black Devonshire marble; the steps up to the altar and the floor of the sanctuary are red Numidium marble from Syria. The windows are surrounded by pink alabaster interspersed with columns of green Connemara marble and red crinoidal limestoes from either Devon or Cork. Sutton stone is to be found in the base of the crossing arch. Beautifully and intrically carved Quarella Standstones are to be found throughout the church. A large black limestone wall monument made by P Rogers of Swansea is supported by blocks of Mumbles marble (this firm used the black Mumbles marble widely throughout the Swansea area to support monuments).
The font is made from a travetine or turfa stone probably coming from a local cave, it was recovered from the earlier church and placed on a new plinth, having been found in the floor of the earlier building. It is unusual in not being not being made from a Dundry Stone which would have been the expectation.
An alabaster reredos incorporates figures carved in white marble, stained glass and side silk drapes hung on metal brackets. The central carved figures are the Virgin and Child, with angels and prophets. In front of it is a plainly carved altar standing on a white marble podium and it is an integrated part of the reredos. There are timber communion rails.
Being (re)built at the time of the Tractarian(Oxford) movement the pulpit is entered through its own opening in the Chancel arch, coming from the priest's carved stall in the chancel, the opening having miniaturised vaulting. The puplit itself is carved pulpit with alabaster figures of the three great Anglo-Catholic preachers, Keble, Liddon and Pusey in panels. The chancel arch itself has traces of a fresco.
Within the nave is a brass eagle lectern. The prayer desk and pews are in teak, the pew ends are carved with flowers and animals and the latter intricately carved with fish and pelican decorations.
The roof of the nave dominates the scene, in enriched oak with high collar beams, arch braces carried below the carved cornices to carved stone corbels, two rows of purlins and two stages of wind braces with carved bosses. The chancel roof is also massively timbered in oak, with angels on the cornices. There is a C14 truss from the earlier chancel, it has been repositioned against the east face of the chancel wall.
The bell is from the earlier church dated 1518 and has a cast inscription in Dutch 'Gerit van Wou, Holland' (which woud seem to be the persons's name and country.)
The stained glass was designed by Halliday and made by Burlison & Grylls of London largely dated 1894. The architect's drawings for the east window have been preserved, and in the representation of the 'Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary' the skull of the name Golgotha shown in the drawings has been omitted from the window. In the north wall of the sanctuary is 'St Timothy'. 'Three Seraphims' are in the south wall of the chancel, opposite is ' St John the Baptist' In the north wall of the nave are 'The Sweet Psalmists' and in the opposite wall is 'Christ Blessing the Children Brought by their Mothers' and 'Angel with Child', the west window is of 'St Nicholas'.
Unusually the vestry is accorded respect, its doorway is a carved masterwork, with vesicas in the hollow of the arch mouldings featuring the Fathers of the Western Church on one side with the fathers of the eastern Church on the other. The architct's monogram is punched into the hinges. The whole thing is reminicent of the Prior's Door in Norwich Cathedral.
The craftsmanship in stone is by William Clarke of Llandaff, who acted also as contractor. The metalwork is by Singer of Frome and by Morgan and Williams of Cardiff, Mr Morgan being the blacksmith
Stained Glass in Wales
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.