Church of Saint John the Divine, Pontypool, Torfaen

History

Anglican parish church of 1911-12 by John Coates Carter, the W end completed in 1920s. Built for John Paton (1863-1943) and his wife Susan (1872-1953) of Waun Wern, nearby, and later Llanvair Grange, who also gave the screen, organ, stalls and sanctuary chairs in 1937-8. A substantial church is in a relatively simple late Gothic style with excellent stonework, the windows small in relation to wall. The triple roofed plan and sloping site give a dramatic E end raised high on a basement, the aisleless long chancel projecting beyond the aisle gables, also over basements.

Exterior

Anglican parish church, pinkish squared rubble stone with ashlar dressings, and three parallel roofs of small greenish slates, swept out at eaves, the centre roof with simple timber ridge lantern, gabled and boarded, between nave and chancel. Yellow rounded clay ridge tiles. Nave and chancel under one roof, with aisles, and built into slope such that chancel is raised over a large schoolroom and E ends of aisles have basements, the S aisle E with entry to schoolroom and stairs up to aisle.
Late Gothic style with Arts and Crafts movement influence, simple external detail, generally flat-headed windows with segmental-pointed heads to lights and relieving arches above, the chancel side windows similar but cusped, and the E and W windows segmental-pointed with tracery of late Gothic type. Ashlar quoins.
W end built into slope has three gables, the centre higher with traceried 3-light segmental-pointed headed window with ogee heads to lights and hoodmould, long 2-light flat-headed window to N aisle with hoodmould, and 2-light window each floor to the S aisle the head of the upper one matching N aisle window. Semicircular rainwater heads between roofs. S aisle has segmental-pointed arched doorway to left with high moulded stops to jambs, double studded plank doors with cover strips and wrought iron hinges. Then four 3-light windows and a single light set lower, to light basement stair. E end has long segmental-pointed traceried 2-light window with stone voussoirs, over basement 2-light to left and segmental-pointed ashlar doorway with stone voussoirs to right. Double doors with wrought iron flat hinges and applied iron half-circle on each door. Chancel has two 3-light windows to S and three to N, all set high, flat-headed with cusped-pointed lights, and E large traceried 3-light segmental-pointed window with cusped ogee heads to lights and panel tracery above. Chancel basement has simpler 3-light windows, 2 to S, one to E and 3 to N. N aisle has traceried 2-light E window similar to S aisle E, over segmental-pointed basement door, and four 3-light windows to N side, and one two-light to basement left.

Interior

Whitewashed plastered interior with timber roofs. Arcades of 6 bays with round whitewashed plastered piers on ashlar octagonal bases and with ashlar round capitals finely carved with Arts and Crafts leaf design, bosses at four corners, under caps with chamfered corners answering to chamfers of plastered segmental-pointed arches. S arcade has ashlar E pier with capital, the N face with incised cross and finely lettered inscription 'Advent 1912'. Painted similar respond to N arcade. W end of arcades simply die into wall. Centre 9-bay roof of unusual form, arch-braced collar trusses but the W bay, nave E bay and 2 chancel bays are boarded to a parabolic profile. In these bays the trusses have a curved beam over collar. Truss over chancel screen has tracery in apex. Red tile and parquet floors. Windows have segmental-pointed ashlar heads to reveals, jambs of first window of each aisle carried down to floor. Nave W end has small stone-lined recess set to left.
S aisle has W end enclosed internal porch with gallery over. W door with chamfered ashlar jambs and high carved stop (similar to external S door) and chamfered timber lintel. Double studded plank doors with wrought iron hinges. Ashlar coved coping to gallery. Porch has beamed ceiling. Aisle has 5 tie-beam-and-collar trusses with raking struts, the principals carried down lower to outer walls. E end has organ over panelled wall with door to vestry and door to right to basement stairs. Panelling has some Gothic blind tracery to upper panels under organ pipe-front with Gothic casing. N aisle has matching roof, W end is fitted as Lady Chapel with painted timber frame to a large damask panel and painted timber cornice at sill height lettered with 'All things bright and beautiful..'.
Chancel has segmental-pointed large arch to right framing organ console and jambs of two N windows and E window are carried down to floor. Floor has panels of diagonally set encaustic tiles in front of stalls, three stone-fronted steps to altar, with red tiles and some encaustic tiles. S wall piscina with cusped head, shelf and quatrefoil bowl.
Basement has entrance hall and Sunday schoolroom under chancel.
Fittings: Extensive fittings in oak mostly dating from the late 1930s and not by Coates Carter, elaborately carved in late Gothic style.
Pews with linenfold bench ends and front kneelers with panels, strips with carved motifs between every two panels. Detached piece of oak panelling with 6 roundels, possibly C17. Gothic oak pulpit with ornate ogee traceried panels, the front with statue of St John under nodding ogee canopy. Small timber lectern of 1937. Very large screen of 1937 with linenfold bottom panels, delicate ogee tracery to heads of tall open panels above, 3 each side and broad centre with double ogee-traceried head, cornice with undercut vine trail ornament, centre shield with pelican, cornice, and cross above. W end has ashlar font by Coates Carter with small octagonal bowl with square rosette panels on big base stepped out in 2 large chamfered tiers over 3 small ones. In Lady Chapel an ornate brass eagle lectern from St James Pontypool 1902. E end of N aisle has panelled carved oak altar and two kneelers with carved vine motif to centre of each. Chancel has large panelled oak altar with carved strips between panels, carved oak altar rails with linenfold on uprights and rose and lily scroll under top rails. Stalls of 1937, two rows each side with traceried rose carved in bench end of front one, moulded end to rear one. Front kneelers have linenfold panels between narrow traceried panels and finely lettered frieze 'O ye children of men bless ye the Lord praise him and magnify him'. Two reading desks with carved front kneelers with linenfold and carved leaf friezes, leaf bosses on chair elbows. Oak panelled organ console in arch to S, organ of 1938.
Large painted carved hanging crucifix.
Stained glass: E window 3-light c1975 with much clear class and enthroned Christ in centre light.
Memorials: In chancel 2 alabaster plaques to John and Susan Paton and brass plaque to 2nd Lt J.E. Paton, killed 1914.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a notable early C20 church of individual design by the leading Welsh Arts and Crafts architect.

External Links

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