Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
11776
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
15/08/1975
Date of Amendment
05/01/1989
Name of Property
Old Town Church of St Thomas
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Neath Port Talbot
Community
Neath
Town
Locality
Easting
275325
Northing
197673
Street Side
Location
Located in a spacious churchyard within Church Place.
Description
Broad Class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Period
History
Late C13 foundation of St Thomas the Matyr, re-named St Thomas the Apostle at the Reformation. Aisled nave with W tower. Medieval W tower of c1340 raised 1691.
Exterior
Nave largely rebuilt and aisles added 1730. General restoration of 1874. Three stage W tower, rubble-freestone dressings. First and second floor bands, stepped diagonal buttresses, regular quoins. Crenellated parapet on corbels, waterspouts to corners, clockface to W. Restored (late C17?) 2 light cusped openings to bell stage elevations. Returned labels with stops. Tall pointed window over W door. Returned hoodmould. Cusped, 4 light transomed panel tracery, hollow chamfered reveals. Returned label over door, roll moulded reveals, 4 centred arch, plain spandrels, late C19 doors.
Interior
Five bay aisled nave. Scribed plaster on rubble, m-shaped slate roof, oversailing eaves. Doorcases of 1731 W end of N and W elevations of aisles. Stepped architraves, keystone. Moulded flat hood on brackets, C19 6 panel doors. Two light Victorian round arched geometric windows. Vice inset to SW angle with tower. Early C19 vestry to SE angle with chancel, coursed rubble, dressed quoins, gabled slate roof; 24 pane sash window with round arched doorway offset to right on E. Panelled door. Venetian window to E end of chancel.
Rectangular arcade piers rise to plain round arches, moulded capitals with toothed ornament. C19 nave roof, boarded arch braced trusses. Plastered aisle ceilings, moulded cornice to N. Fine Royal Arms of 1731 to N aisle E wall. Wall monument of 1794 to Sir Humphrey Mackworth to S aisle. Draped sarcophagus bearing urn on podium with pilasters and family arms, gilded marble; hatchments over. Numerous monuments and baluster font with gadrooning to bowl and beneficiary plaques to aisle walls and arcade piers, mostly C18. C10 incised wheel cross fragment formerly in Llanilltyd churchyard by vice doorway at W end S aisle.
Moulded returned hoodmould with toothed ornament to Venetian E window. Panelled vestry door to S side of chancel. Early C18 altar rails, cannon barrel balusters. Later C19 reredos from St David’s Church Pelas of 6 bells dated 1720.
Reason for designation
A fine example of an early Georgian church with furnishings rare in Wales.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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