St Catherine's Church, Canton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Catherine's, Canton |
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St Catherine's in 2016
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| 51°29′07″N 3°11′58″W / 51.4854°N 3.1995°W | |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Website | St Catherine's Church, Canton |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1885 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 19 May 1975 |
| Architect(s) | John Prichard |
| Groundbreaking | 1883 |
| Completed | 1897 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Materials | brick, stone |
| Bells | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Canton |
| Diocese | Llandaff |
St Catherine's Church, Canton is an important Anglican church. It is a protected building that serves the areas of Canton and Riverside in Cardiff, Wales.
Contents
History of St Catherine's Church
Why the Church Was Built
Canton was once a small village near Cardiff. But in the 1800s, Cardiff grew very fast because of new industries. Many people moved to Canton.
Because so many people moved there, more churches were needed. The church of St John the Evangelist was already built in the 1850s. It was even made bigger in 1870. But still, more places for people to worship were needed.
How St Catherine's Started
The Reverend Vincent Saulez was the first leader of St John's Church. He saw the need for more churches. He started St Catherine's in the early 1880s. He also helped start St Paul's in Grangetown later on.
The first stone of St Catherine's was laid by Catherine Vaughan. She was the wife of the Dean of Llandaff, a church leader. She also gave a lot of money, £1000, to help build the church. Many people think the church was named St Catherine's because of her generosity.
Building the Church
The church was designed by John Prichard, a church architect. He planned for the church to be shaped like a cross (called a cruciform design). However, this plan was too big to build at the time. So, Prichard only built three sections of the main part of the church, called the nave.
St Catherine's Church opened in 1885, even before it was fully finished. John Prichard died in 1886, which stopped the building work for a while.
Completing the Design
The church was finished in two main steps. First, between 1892 and 1893, a company called Kempson & Fowler added more parts. They built the chancel (the area around the altar), a small chapel on the south side, and a room for the clergy on the north side.
Then, in 1897, G.E. Halliday added two more sections to the west end of the church. This completed the main structure.
Inside the church, you can see a beautiful marble reredos. This is a decorated screen behind the altar. The church also has stunning stained glass windows made by an artist named Ninian Comper.
St Catherine's Today
St Catherine's became its own separate church area, or parish, in 1895. Later, in the 1900s, it joined back with St John's. Today, St Catherine's is part of a group of churches in Canton. This group includes St John's and St Luke's. The church has been a protected building since 1975. This means it is important and kept safe for the future.
