St James the Great, Cardiff

St James the Great is a church located opposite the Cardiff Royal Infirmary on Newport Road, near the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It closed in 2006 after 112 years as an Anglican place of worship.

Church of St James the Great
The reredos shown in its new location, St Theodore's Church, Port Talbot
Baptismal font, shown in its new location in the entrance to Tredegarville Primary School

History and description

St James the Great was designed by architect Colonel E. M. Bruce Vaughan.[1] It was built between 1890 and 1894, replacing an earlier iron church.[1] Bruce-Vaughan's church is described as his "major work" and took some inspiration from the nearby St German's Church in Adamsdown (particularly the high, wide chancel) but with the noticeable addition of a "finely composed" tower and spire.[2] It cost a substantial £10,000 to complete.[3] Externally the church is finished with Sweldon limestone, Bath stone and ashlar while, internally, the nave pillars are alternatively round and octagonal. The carved pulpit was "a sumptuous piece" in pink, green and buff coloured stone. The gilded and painted reredos screen was early 20th-century.[2]

The church became a Grade II listed building in 1975.[1]

The church closed in 2006 and sold in 2007 by the Church in Wales for £500,000. Planning permission was granted in 2008 to create 12 one and two-bedroom flats and, in addition, a seven storey apartment in the church tower.[4] As of 2018, construction and renovation works are still taking place by the owners after a delayed start.

Important architectural fittings have been relocated, for example the font is now in the entrance hall of the next door Tredegarville Primary School and the reredos has been refitted to St Theodore's Church, Port Talbot.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Church of St James the Great., Adamsdown". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  2. Newman, John (1995), The Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan, Penguin Books, pp. 95 & 301/2, ISBN 0-14-071056-6, retrieved 23 December 2014
  3. "VAUGHAN, EDWIN MONTGOMERY BRUCE". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  4. James, David (22 November 2008). "Church spire to be converted into seven-floor flat". Wales Online. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  5. "Church of St James the Great". The Victorian Web. Retrieved 22 December 2014.

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