"The church of St. Peter (a chapel of ease to the parish church), erected in 1862, is an edifice of Welsh sandstone, with Bath stone dressings, in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, and an embattled western tower, 200 feet in height and containing one bell ; at the outside corners of the tower are two rounded columns elaborately sculptured : Text Source: (
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"St Peter's Church was the gift of Mr William Parsons, who saw the work on building the church begin in 1858. It was completed in 1862, and consecrated by the Right Reverend Connop Thirlwall, Bishop of St David's on 31 July 1862. The church at Llangiwg was small and could not accommodate the growing population brought about by the industrialisation of the valley. Much of the industrialisation had been brought about by his own steel and tinplate works. He was also concerned that the new church should direct people's gaze towards God, rather than the chimneys of his works. To this end, he employed J.H. Bayliss of Swansea to design the new church, and Mr J. Holtham to execute the work. On its completion, people travelled on the newly opened railway to view the spectacle. One local paper of the time recorded people's comments: two of which were "it will doubtless make the hitherto insignificant village a well-known and noted place" and "its magnificence is unrivalled in Wales." Not surprisingly, the church gained the epithet "the Cathedral of the Swansea Valley." Locals still refer to it lovingly as such to this day. The spire of St Peter's Church rises 208 feet (64 metres) from the ground, and it is surmounted by two keys pointing heavenward. "To you I give the keys of the Kingdom of heaven" - Jesus' words to Simon Peter. For his inspiration, J.H. Bayliss took the architecture of the Late Decorated Gothic designers. As with all buildings of this architectural design, the stone carvings are flowery and exquisite. The church measures 112 feet (34.46 metres) in length, 54 feet (16.61 metres) in width and 55 feet (16.92 meetres) in height. It has a seating capacity of around 350 people. The church has floodlighting which is sponsored by individuals to mark special occasions in their lives." Text Source: (
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"Anglican parish church, local sandstone squared rubble with Bath stone dressings and red plain tiles to roofs (banded tones on chancel and organ chamber). Nave, aisles, chancel, S organ chamber and W tower with broach spire of over 60m overall. Coped gables with shoulders, ornately traceried windows with stone voussoirs over.
Tower is relatively narrow but has ornately-carved ashlar clasping octagonal buttresses at W angles up to base of fourth stage, bell-stage, which has quoins, ashlar battlements with corner angels and very tall recessed octagonal broached spire with finial and iron fleur-de-lys vane. Stages are divided by moulded strings. Tall lowest stage has heavy projecting plinth broken forward at angles, moulded pointed doors N and S with ashlar gabled surrounds, hoodmoulds and carved head stops (green man stop to N door left), large traceried 4-light W window with hood and carved head stops. Doors have cover strips and iron strap hinges. Narrow second stage has 2 cusped single lights with hoods on N and W and one similar on S. Tall third stage is without openings. Narrow bell-stage has ornate traceried pointed 3-light openings with hood and carved stops. Heavy sill course below, and string course above, leaving narrow band below battlements. Ashlar angle features begin square at plinth, with ashlar chamfering, then broached to octagonal with chamfered moulding at impost level of W window, then blind niche with big crocketted canopy on each W face and each outer face, with crouching beasts. Second stage also octagonal has string carried around from hoodmoulds of windows and then fierce carved dragons or monsters at angles looking down, at base of section chamfered back to third stage base of cluster of narrow crocketted gabled niches. In N angle between nave and tower is ashlar insert repeating details of front ashlar features, but only on one diagonal face, and stopped at base of third stage. In S angle is ashlar stair tower with quartefoil roundel lights in SW face, and sloping ashlar cap at bell-stage level.
Nave has paired dragons to W gable shoulders, 5 bays with curved-sided triangle clerestorey windows, cusped, and large 3-light pointed traceried aisle windows, 5 each side, one to aisle ends. Plinth, diagonal corner buttresses to aisles and side buttresses (2 to N, 3 to S). String course at W end and on buttresses. S aisle fifth window has hoodmould with head stops, ashlar battlemented low gable and buttress to left is carried up to a gabled top. Chancel N has 3 long pointed 2-light windows with dwarf buttresses between. E end has diagonal buttresses in 2 stages, green man corbel SE, and very large pointed 5-light window with hoodmould and head stops. Chancel S has one narrow 3-light with hoodmould and carved head stops, and large parallel-roofed organ chamber. Organ chamber has ashlar 2-stage octagonal stair turret at SW corner with battlemented top, narrow lancets to cardinal faces of top stage, pointed door to ground floor W and quatrefoil stair lights SW and SE. Steep roof with coped gables, S side pointed door with gable and carved angel stops, and segmental-pointed 3-light window to right, and 2 first floor sexfoil roundels above. E end has similar 3-light and cinquefoil roundel in gable.
Reason for Listing
Graded II* as the most ambitious industrialist's church in South Wales. Text Source: (
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