St Michael and All Angels Church, Tongwynlais facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael & All Angels |
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| 51°31′55″N 3°15′03″W / 51.5319°N 3.2508°W | |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 10 June 1977 |
| Architect(s) | John Prichard |
| Architectural type | Victorian Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1875 |
| Completed | February 1877 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Materials | sandstone |
| Bells | 1 (space for 2) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Tongwynlais |
| Deanery | Llandaff |
| Archdeaconry | Llandaff |
| Diocese | Llandaff |
St Michael and All Angels Church is a special Anglican church in a village called Tongwynlais in South Wales. It serves the people living in that area. This church is also a "Grade II listed building", which means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
The Church's Early Days
For a long time, people in Tongwynlais who wanted to go to an Anglican church had to travel almost 2.5 miles. They went to St Mary's Church in Whitchurch. This was because Tongwynlais didn't have its own Anglican church until 1850.
Even though the Ainon Baptist Church had been there since 1828, Anglican families still had to make the long trip. In 1850, a man named Henry Lewis, who owned Greenmeadow, helped out. He changed his coach-house into a church and a school. This meant people didn't have to travel to Whitchurch anymore.
In 1875, Henry Lewis gave some land for a brand new church. He also gave £100 to help build it. Other groups, like the Llandaff Church Extension Society and the Melingriffith Tin Plate Works, also gave money. The first stone for the new church was placed in 1875. A famous architect named John Prichard designed the building.
The church was built using red and grey sandstone. It opened in February 1877. For 44 years, it worked as a "chapel of ease". This means it was a smaller church that helped the main St Mary's Church in Whitchurch. The beautiful wooden screen inside the church, called a rood screen, was given by Herbert Cory. He gave it to say thank you for the safe return of the villagers who fought in the First World War.
Becoming Its Own Parish
Big changes happened after the Church in Wales was formed in 1920. In 1921, St Michael's Church became its own separate parish, called the Parish of Tongwynlais. Before this, it was part of the Whitchurch Parish. The new parish first belonged to the Deanery of Caerphilly. Later, it moved to the Deanery of Llandaff.
In 1950, the church's graveyard became a bit smaller. This happened because the road next to it was made wider. In 1954, St Michael's Parish grew even more. It joined with St James' Church in Taff's Well and St Mary's Church in Nantgarw. These churches had been part of the Parish of Eglwysilan. However, St Mary's in Nantgarw closed in 1983.
In 1977, St Michael's Church was given "listed status". This means it's officially recognized as an important historical building. The current priest in charge at St Michael's is Revd. Zoe King. She started this role in 2015.
Sister Church: St Mary & St James, Taff's Well
St Mary and St James Church in Taff's Well is still a sister church to St Michael's. This building was first built in 1869 on Church Street. It started as a school. It was used as a school until 1879, when a new village school was built. After that, it was changed into a church.
Inside the church, there is a special war memorial. This memorial remembers local people who lost their lives. It honors those from the two World Wars and also from the Troubles in Northern Ireland. When St Mary's in Nantgarw closed in 1983, St James' Church changed its name. It became St Mary and St James to remember the closed church.
