Church of Saint Cadoc, Glyn-neath, Neath Port Talbot

History

Anglican parish church originally a C17 chapel of ease to Cadoxton, rebuilt in 1808-9 for the Williams family of Aberpergwm and extended with chancel in 1836-41, the chancel apparently designed around two fine medieval effigies said to have been purchased in France. There were further works by J.B. Fowler of Cardiff in 1883, and his may be the C17 style ogee-traceried windows in red sandstone. The bellcote apparently modelled on C14 originals, e.g. Betws (Glamorgan) and Chilthorne Domer (Somerset), has been replaced in late C20. The two nave porches were originally one for men the other for women, the S porch now a vestry. The E window contains four stained glass panels which have been identified as originating from the cloister of Steinfield Abbey, Germany, built between 1499 and 1517 and glazed c.1530. The panels were removed in the late C18 and eventually sold to John Christopher Hampp, a German immigrant who lived in Norwich and imported continental glass at the beginning of the C19. It is unknown when the panels were installed at St Cadoc's but may belong to the 1808-9 rebuilding.

Exterior

Anglican parish church, nave and chancel with N and S porches and W bellcote. Nave of rubble stone has windows in red Cheshire sandstone, 3 to N and 2 to S, flat-headed with 3 ogee-pointed lights and thick ovolo-moulded mullions, and deep hoodmoulds. N side has added buttress between second and third windows. Door to right, possibly of 1883, red stone pointed with board door in big N porch with rubble stone side walls with red stone top to plinth and quoins (some replaced in red concrete) and open timber gable with bargeboards and vertical posts over segmental-pointed entry with carved spandrels. Single panel each side of entry and 3 panels to side walls. W end has rock-faced stone added buttresses to corners and 2-light pointed W window in red stone with cusped tracery and hood. Bargeboards to gable and squat c2000 octagonal stone bellcote with stone octagonal short spire. S side has gabled former S porch now vestry with rock-faced stone diagonal buttresses and Bath stone paired lancets with joined hoodmoulds in S gable.
Chancel has tooled stonework of narrow squared sandstone blocks. E end has two slightly projected broad piers (answering to the niches within) with corbelled coping and half-round relieving arches in the wall above. Centre has long Bath stone two-light window with transom and traceried pointed head. Ogee hoodmould has carved heads, one male one female, as stops, crockets and a big finial under a small cusped niche with inscription beneath in Gothic raised letters. C20 head in niche of Easter Island type. Coped E gable with cross finial, diagonal buttresses of two steps rising to small octagonal ashlar finials with flattened tops. Chancel N side has porch for Williams family in matching stonework, gabled with pointed arched doorway and stone slab roof. Studded plank door, the right side overlapping another 2-step buttress with octagonal finial. Chamfered pointed inner N door with pointed tracery applied to square-headed door. Two inset small plaques on N wall, one eroded face, one with Lamb of God. Windowless S side has similar buttress to left and two inset plaques, one to Dafydd Nicolas (d 1769), one to John Jones (d 1820).

Interior

Whitewashed plastered walls and shallow curved plaster roof. W end has projection carrying bellcote
framing deep-set W window with moulded segmental-pointed rear arch dying into piers. N side has moulded segmental-pointed head to N door presumably of 1883 and ovolo-moulded cambered heads to 3-light
windows. S side has similar windows and small Tudor arched S door to right (now into vestry) with 6 fielded
panels, the top ones Tudor-arched. Chancel arch of 1840s has plain imposts over paired thin piers with
caps and bases, cut-back on W side for removed screen and a fine carved angel above each side. Arch has applied neo-Norman chevron ornament, double zigzag to soffit and thin zig-zag to chamfered edges.
Massive grotesque head keystone. Single step to chancel which has broad curved pointed ceiling divided by transverse thin ribs and with leafs and rosettes at intersections with ridge. E end corbel carved with Lamb of God, W end with dragon. Moulded cornices with shield-bearing angels at 4 corners, the E ones with chevron and fleur- de-lys Williams arms. N door has rounded flat hood over. E end altar is flanked by two tomb recesses with octagonal side piers and broad ogee arches with crockets and cusping, carved leafs in apex of ogee which is carried up to a carved finial. In each recess is an early C19 panelled stone tomb chest with pointed panels carrying a fine Gothic effigy, a female to left, a knight to right. In back of recesses are Gothic-lettered inscriptions in Welsh to medieval lords of Neath. Between the effigies is a reredos with top moulding linked to caps of piers of recesses. Reredos of 3 painted stone panels, carved with motifs, stone altar on two columns. Y-tracery to E window (without the cusping seen outside).
Fittings: octagonal granite font, chamfered below and broached to fit tall square pier with crude panel on
front of fleur-de-lys in lozenge, font possibly medieval, shaft possibly C17. Lectern c2000 carved oak near
replica of C17 eagle lectern that was stolen. Painted grained furnishings of c1850-60 including pews with
panel backs diagonally-boarded and moulded arm-rests. Pew frontals have open panels with turned
balusters over pierced squares. Pulpit has painted grained 3-sided panelled front with tracery, carried on
stone base on three squat whitewashed Gothic columns. Stone steps up from side with brass rail. Turned
balusters to altar rails on 3 sides of altar. Chancel chairs said to have been for Aberpergwm each side
joined rows of gable-backed chairs with crockets and finials and sunflower panel to each chair back, row of
seven on N, row of 8 on S. Reading desk in oak looks mid to later C19 with vesica pane each side carved
with symbols, plaque of c1940.
Memorials: Chancel has fine alabaster neo-early C18 style memorial to Captain Idris Williams, killed
1915, and fine bronze neo-Renaissance plaque with cherubs and scroll to Morgan S. Williams (d 1909) and
his wife (d 1928). E end has plaques each side, four with an ogee-pointed top piece to give a unity (two
each side in matching positions). Left side has plaque to George Williams (d 1796) and daughter (d 1800)
the ogee top to Mrs Williams (d 1792); Tudor-arched Bath stone plaque to Rees Williams (d 1849); white
marble C20 replica of ogee-topped plaque to Rees Williams (d 1812) and Anne Williams (d 1834);
armorial plaque to George Williams (d 1796), possibly also a replica. Right side has plaque to William
Williams (d 1788) with ogee top piece; Tudor style marble plaque to Lleishon de A Williams (d 1860);
ogee plaque to Winifred Harcland; and plaque of 1784 to family of Eleanor Aubrey of Ynyscedwen.
Chancel S ribboned oval marble plaque to Eliza and Maria Williams (d 1871 and 1873); fine neo-early C18
plaque with bobbin-turned columns and broken pediment to Captain G. Williams killed 1879 in the Zulu
War; brass plaque to Rees Williams (d 1863). Nave N has 2 brass plaques to Penrose family of Clynybont
with dates of death 1834 to 1905. S side marble neo-Grec plaque to Morgan Morgan of Abernanthir (d
1837) and his wife (d 1843).
Glass: Windows have pretty leaded glass presumably of 1883 in clear to blue narrow pieces except where
there is stained glass. E window has four pieces of early C16 German stained glass set in patterned glass
of flowers and scrolls on clear ground, of c.1883. The panels show: monk kneeling before St Barbara (lower
left), Premonstratensian monk kneeling before St Augustine (upper left), Abbot John IV kneeling before an
unshown image of Christ (lower right), and Abbot John V. von Münstereiful kneeling before the Virgin Mary
(upper right). N window of 1884 by Hardman of Christ with SS Peter and John to D. Llewellyn.

Reasons for Listing

Listed at Grade II* for the unusual and high quality pre-ecclesiological Gothic interior which combines Georgian plaster ceilings and early Rhenish stained glass panels with neo-Norman chancel arch and important medieval effigies brought in to enhance the antique effect.

External Links

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