Old Town Church of St Thomas, Neath, Neath Port Talbot

Entry Name: Old Town Church of St Thomas

Listing Date: 15 August 1975

Last Amended: 5 January 1989

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 11776

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: St Thomas's Church, Neath
Old Town Church Of St.thomas,church Place

ID on this website: 300011776

Location: Located in a spacious churchyard within Church Place.

County: Neath Port Talbot

Community: Neath (Castell-nedd)

Community: Neath

Built-Up Area: Neath

Traditional County: Glamorgan

Tagged with: Church building

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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.

Reasons for Listing

A fine example of an early Georgian church with furnishings rare in Wales.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

Other nearby listed buildings

II Gates, Gatepiers & Churchyard Wall of St Thomas' Church
Forming the inner boundary of the lane around Church Place. The gatepiers being on the NW side and SW corner of the churchyard.
II NO.24 Church Street, West Glamorgan
On the street line opposite the junction with High Street.
II Mechanics Institute
On the street line opposite the old church gateway.
II Adrian Hicks & Son
On the street line midway along the street.
II The St Ives Public House
On the street line opposite the junction with High Street.
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On the street line near the junction with Wind Street.
II NO.16 Old Market Street, West Glamorgan
On the street line near the junction with Wind Street.
II NO.6 New Street, West Glamorgan
On the street line at the corner with Church Place and backing on to St Thomas’ churchyard.

British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

Old Town Church of St Thomas

A Grade II* Listed Building in Neath, Neath Port Talbot

Coordinates