St Catharine's Church, Baglan facts for kids
St Catharine's Church is an important church located in Baglan, a town in Port Talbot, South Wales. It's often called the "mother church" for the local area.
Building a Special Church
St Catharine's Church is a very important historical building. It's known as a Grade I listed building, which means it's one of the most special buildings in Wales. It was built a long time ago, between 1875 and 1882.
A man named Griffith Llewellyn paid for the church to be built. He owned a large house nearby called Baglan Hall, which isn't there anymore. The church was officially opened in 1882 by Bishop Alfred Ollivant. You can even see carvings of Griffith Llewellyn and Bishop Ollivant near the church's main entrance.
The church was designed in a style called Decorated Gothic. This style often has beautiful, detailed carvings and tall windows. The outside of the church is made from Forest of Dean sandstone. A famous architect named John Prichard helped design it. He also worked on the big Llandaff Cathedral. A local architect, John Jones, made sure the building work was done correctly. This church replaced an older one, St Baglan's Church, which was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1954.
Inside the Church
The inside of St Catharine's Church is very colorful. It uses different types of stone like Quarella stone, Forest of Dean sandstone, and "Penarth" alabaster. These materials create a cool effect with many colors. The area near the altar, called the chancel, has bands of shiny marble. The floor there is also marble, with beautiful Italian mosaic tiles.
There's a special brass plaque inside the church that remembers Griffith Llewellyn and his wife, Madelina. They are both buried in the churchyard, close to the old ruins of Saint Baglan's church.
The church also has amazing stained glass windows. Some of these were designed by famous artists like William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. One window shows St Cecilia with musical angels, and another shows the Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and St John. There's also a more modern window from 1972 by Celtic Studios.
As a Film Location
Did you know that St Catharine's Church has been in a movie? Scenes from the 1997 film Twin Town were filmed right here at the church!
