Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot

History

Built 1966 and designed by the architect Thomas Price ARIBA of FR Bates, Son & Price.

Although Briton Ferry had developed initially through the C19 as an industrial town of the docks, steel and tinplate works, it did undergo substantial industrial growth along with surrounding areas in the post-war years. In 1951 a church was built on the site of the present church, serving as a chapel-of-ease to St Joseph’s church on Hillside Lane, Neath (1933). A separate parish was created in 1958 and the priest, the Rev. Edmund Mullins, organised the building of a new church and presbytery alongside the existing hall.

The church was constructed immediately following the Second Vatican Council (1962-5) and was an expression of contemporary thinking on church design and worship practice in the post war period. Price had designed St Benedict’s church in Uplands, Swansea (1961, Grade II) and was strongly influenced in his work by the Liturgical Movement. Although the design of the Briton Ferry church is based on the use of simple block-like forms and a simple rectangular plan from it is a direct expression of the renewed thinking of Catholic worship as well as the wider spirit of rebuilding in the post-war period.
The ambulatory arrangement is influenced by Maguire & Murray’s church of St Paul, Bow Common in London (Grade II*, 1958-60). Built with a relatively simple centralised rectangular plan with a large glazed lantern and a steel corona suspended over the centralised altar. The contractors for the church were Messrs Knox & Wells. It was consecrated and opened on 10 May 1966 by the Archbishop of Cardiff.

There has been some internal remodelling but much of the internal detail, which is typical and very characteristic of the period, survives. The cylindrical corona and stained glass, by John Petts, contribute to a powerful interior. Likewise, the openwork concrete campanile, at the front of the church, overlooking Neath Road, is of a typical 1960s design and creates a distinctive local landmark.

Early photographs of the church from the 1966 Catholic Building Review (reproduced in the Taking Stock Statement of Significance) show that the current paint scheme of red to the lower parts and a lighter buff colour to the main building is not original; when first opened the brickwork of the lower part was a light colour (possibly unfinished buff brick) and a darker colour above. The campanile was a uniform light colour. Similarly early photographs show different arrangements to the sanctuary with a plain high altar enclosed by simple rails. The rails have been removed and a dais created for a new forward altar with the font moved from its original position in the baptistery at the W end of the narthex to the side of the sanctuary.

The presbytery is attached at first floor level to the rear of the church and has been designed to fit into the upper part of the elevated site, but is not of special interest. The hall to the side of the church is not of special interest.

Exterior

Church in Modernist style. Rectangular plan roughly orientated E-W, dominated by tall box-like main part, steel frame construction with external self-finished metal cladding. Large central window at W end, rectangular windows to both N and S sides at E end, and strip windows around the base of N, S and W walls.

Enveloping the lower part of this main building on its W and S side is a lower flat roofed ambulatory with walls of cavity brickwork. On its S side is a deep recessed entrance, tripartite doors with horizontal glazing, and 4 strip windows to the right. Attached to the NW corner is a tall openwork campanile constructed from reinforced concrete and holding a single bell. Built into the church at the E is the presbytery, 2 storey and clad with the entrance through a wide door up 4 steps. This connects to the hall to the S.

Interior

Entrance at SW leads directly to a full width narthex, divided from the main part of the church by a glazed timber framed screen with stained glass panels representing The Passion by John Petts. Body of the church largely plain, ceiling tiles arranged into a cross, hanging from the head of this above the forward altar is a large cylindrical corona under a 12ft domed rooflight. Behind this is a fretwork panel matching the grid frame of the corona. Side windows with abstract stained glass designs ‘hang’ from the arms of the cross in the N and S walls. On the S side is a small chapel to St David, divided from the main part of the church by an openwork screen of the style used for the campanile and containing expressionist figure of St David, by Petts. Large central window in W wall in line with the base of the ceiling cross, a concrete and stained glass window of Our Lady also by Petts. Plain timber benches. Sanctuary raised on a dais, forward altar with a carved frontal depicting the Last Supper, tapering cylindrical stone font.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special architectural interest as an important and distinctive modernist church, designed by a leading Catholic church architect of the post-war period clearly influenced by contemporary liturgical practices and thinking on church design. It has survived relatively intact with some reordering but retains a powerful interior with a simple plan and important stained glass and other fittings.

This structure has been afforded Interim Protection under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. It is an offence to damage this structure and you may be prosecuted.

To find out more about Interim Protection, please visit the statutory notices page on the Cadw website. For further information about this structure, or to report any damage please contact Cadw.

External Links

Cadwr Listing

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.