St John's Church, Woodfield Street (B4603) / Martin Street, Morriston, Swansea, Glamorgan

Description

Denomination: Anglican

Dedication: St John

Built: 1789 (in wood)
Rebuilt: 1859-62

Colour photography: J H Truman
Date: 13 Aug 2017
Camera: Sony DSC-W530 digital

Image 1:

Southeastern aspect of St John's Church (1968) [archive photo by kind permission of J H Truman]. On the right is the spire of Morriston Tabernacle further down Woodfield Street.

Note 1: John Morris (1745-1819) was responsible for St John's Church first built in wood 1789, with a congregation of 108. He was made a Baronet in 1806. St John's was later (1859-62) rebuilt in Victorian Gothic style and is a grade 2 listed building. Unfortunately, the building today is unused. [Source: J H Truman, personal correspondence, August 2017]

Image 2:

The southeastern aspect of St John's Church (2017).

Note 2: St John's church is located on an island at the crossroads of Woodfield Street and Morfydd Street. The church was built in Victorian Gothic style in 1859-62, replacing a late eighteenth-century chapel of ease on the same site, to designs of diocesan architect R.K.Penson. It is constructed of uncoursed Pennant sandstone rubble with bathstone dressings and slate roofs. Aligned north-south, it consists of four-bay nave with inconspicuous clerestory, chancel, east aisle, porch and tower (added in c.1872); a projected west (ritual north) aisle was not built. At the angle between aisle and chancel, the embattled tower has a stair turret to the north-east corner with steep polygonal roof, and rises above the tower. The interior is simple with plastered walls with painted stone dressings, arch-braced roof to nave, scissor trusses to chancel, piers alternately round and octagonal, and a double-chamfered chancel arch on triple-shafted corbels. Stained glass is by Celtic Studios (1961). [Source: Coflein database of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (accessed 18 August 2017)]

Image 3:

The northwestern aspect of St John's Church (2017).

Note 3: Church consecrated 10 July 1862, replacing late C18 church on site. By R K Penson, diocesan architect. Brown random rubble, bathstone dressings, slate roofs. Tower added circa 1872. Aligned N-S, with 4-bay nave, chancel, east aisle (projected west aisle not built), and porch, tower. Victorian Gothic style. Exterior – East elevation has clerestorey lancets; aisle with 2-light window to L return; gabled porch (roof sweeps down to R over store) Gothic doorway; boarded doors with elaborate strap hinges, to R of porch, two 2-light windows separated by buttress. At angle between aisle and chancel, embattled tower has stair turret to NE corner with steep polygonal roof; pinnacles to other corners; 2-light louvred windows to bell stage, lancets to N and S but round window to E; lancets to ground floor; buttresses, and small window in splay.

Chancel has doorway with lancet to L, 2-light window to R; N end has 3-light chancel window with geometrical tracery, roof sweeps over vestry to W (small Gothic window to N return). Small trefoil window in apex of nave gable above chancel. Plain west wall of nave (window to N) with relieving arches and clerestorey lancets; chimney to N. South end has stepped buttresses, and two-light window with quatrefoil, wall to L is toothed for unbuilt aisle. Interior – Simple interior. Arch-braced roof to nave; scissor trusses to chancel. Plastered walls with painted stone dressings. Segmental heads to clerestorey windows. Alternating round and octagonal piers to aisle arcade. Steps up to chancel. S bay of aisle and base of tower partitioned for kitchen/storage. [Source: British Listed Buildings website (accessed 18 August 2017)]

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/morriston2.htm (link opens in new window)