Roman Catholic Church of St Mary, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire

History

Catholic church of 1851-2 by Charles Hansom of Bristol Refugees from the famine in Ireland, and Irish soldiers in the regiments stationed in the barracks resulted in a significant Catholic population in the town by the later 1840s, and a Catholic missions was established in 1850 by the Rev. Peter Lewis. Services were first held in a converted property, but Fr. Lewis persuaded the Herbert Family of Llanarth, Monmouthshire, to purchase a site for a new church. Funds for the new building were raised by subscription, with a significant donation from Miss Catherine Richardson of Bath. However, funds were insufficient for the N aisle and S transept, which were never built. The parish was run by the Passionist Order from 1889 to 1986, and was restored under Under Fr Dominic O’Neill, the first Passionist Rector, in 1889 with new W organ gallery, font, boarded ceiling and painted decoration (now gone). The architect for the restoration was Albert Vicars of the London firm of Vicars & O’Neill and the works were funded by Misses Richardson (KF, daughter of General Richardson) and Abadam, Mr Charles Morris and others. At the same time, the presbytery was replaced with a larger 3-storey monastery / clergy house, also designed by Vicars. Nave windows of c1892 by Mayer of Munich. The interior survives largely intact with some of the original Hansom detail and layout and some changes from the 1889 restoration. Some items, such as the altar rails purchased with a bequest from Miss Richardson, have since been removed. The church has been served by Marist priests since 2000. A new Holy Door of Mercy was created in the N wall in 2016.

Exterior

Catholic Church in rubble stone with ashlar dressings, steep slate gabled roofs with coped gables, cross finials and terracotta ridge tiles. Decorated Gothic style. Nave with lower chancel, S porch and ashlar SW spirelet. W end has quatrefoil in roundel to apex over W window set high, 3-light with taller centre light and quatrefoil heads to side lights, and hoodmould on carved crowned heads. Raised plinth continues around 2 large buttresses at right angles at SW corner that carry spirelet. Buttresses are shouldered with ashlar dressings and gabled heads under octagon base to diagonally-set square pinnacle with gables and spire with cross finial. S side of nave has 7 bays. First bay has lean-to S porch with broad cinquefoil-cusped pointed arch, paired boarded doors and hoodmould with carved stone heads. Flight of 6 stone steps flanked by dwarf stone walls. At foot of one is a medieval stoup on pedestal attributed to the lost chapel of St Barbara, Carmarthen. Porch has chamfered pointed inner door within. The second bay has 3 quatrefoils in pointed surround set high, third and fourth have 2-light windows with quatrefoil in heads and gabled buttress between. Bays 5 and 6 are plainer, as intended for S chapel addition, each with lancet with stone voussoirs beneath raised cement band, and 3 plainer buttresses, lower one between lights. Bay 7 has single storey link to the presbytery. N side, plain as intended for aisle, has 5 narrow lancets with stone voussoirs between buttresses. Westernmost window is within broad red brick blind arch, perhaps for a porch or chapel, and has slightly taller flanking buttresses. NW buttress has ashlar quoins. Lower chancel has 2 2-light pointed windows with quatrefoil tracery and hoodmoulds and E window has 3 sexfoils in pointed arch set high.

Interior

Painted stucco interior with boarded timber ceiling of 4 cants. Pointed double-chamfered chancel arch with hoodmould on carved stone heads. N wall has 4-bay arcade with pointed arches, round columns and moulded caps for intended N aisle, and S wall has similar 2-bay arcade for proposed S chapel. Heavy boarded S door beneath W end organ gallery with pipe organ. Stained glass: E window of 1852, life of Christ in 3 sexfoils, richly coloured, probably by the Hardman firm. Nave S has, from W: Nativity to dead of both World Wars; Annunciation by Mayer of Munich to W. Richards and wife (died 1890 and 1893); St David window of c1990 by Barry Brady; window to Sister Pierre died 1952 of Virgin Mary. N side has from W: window to C. A. Blake (died 1911) of St Anthony; late C20 Passionist memorial window of St Paul of The Cross presumably by Brady; Annunciation window to J. and W. Regan (died 1906 and 1908), highly coloured, by Mayer; similar window to W. and C. Regan (died 1892 and 1904) signed by Mayer. Chancel side windows with patterned glass. Small octagonal stone font, 1889. Sanctuary reordered but retains altar, by Hansom, painted Caen stone with 3 trefoiled arches on coloured marble colonettes, carved spandrels. Highly ornate painted stone Gothic reredos also by Hansom above with 4 canopied niches with large carved figures of St Paul of the Cross, St Winefride, St Patrick and St Bridget, flanking taller niche with brass crucifix. Marble lining to niches, crocketted gables and finials. Ogee-headed piscina on S wall, shelf on N.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as an early example in the region of correct revived Gothic, by a leading Victorian designer of Catholic churches. An important building in the local townscape and group value with attached monastery / clergy house.

External Links

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