St Paul's Church, Sketty, Swansea, Glamorgan

Description

Denomination: Anglican

Dedication: St Paul

Built: 1850
Consecrated: 1851
Enlarged: 1908 and 1929

Photography: Edward Llewellyn-Jones
Dates: September 2013
Camera: Nikon D3100 digital

Note 1. Saint Paul's Sketty was built just over 150 years ago by the Vivian family of Singleton Abbey, and consecrated by the Bishop of St David's on 27 September 1850. Originally serving as a satellite church of St Mary's in Swansea city centre, St Paul's became a parish church in its own right when Sketty was designated a parish district early in 1851. Since then St Paul's has remained a vibrant Christian presence at the heart of the Sketty community. In response to changing social and congregational needs, major structural alterations have been made on the building over the years, and in 1993 a new Parish Centre was added alongside the main building, which continues to be a tremendous resource for the church congregation and the wider community. [Source: Parish of Sketty website (accessed 19 December 2015)

Note 2. St Paul's church is located on the east side of De La Beche Road, at its junction with Gower Road (A4118), set back within a churchyard. It was built for the Vivian family (industrialists of Swansea) in memory of the first wife of Henry Hussey Vivian (died 1848). The church has Geometrical, Perpendicular and Decorated features, to the designs of architect Henry Woodyer It was consecrated in 1850 and became the parish church in 1851. It was enlarged in 1908 and 1929 to include aisles, chancel and vestry.

The church is constructed of snecked, hammer-dressed local stone with Bath stone ashlar. It consists of tower with broach spire, nave and chancel in line - as originally built - with the addition of north and south aisles, flat-roofed vestry and gabled porch to north, and south chapel to chancel; the latter is a Vivian family burial chapel. The interior is spacious with tiled floors and open arch-braced roof to nave, aisles, and chancel. The nave has five bays, the arcade with octagonal piers with ball-flower capitals. Stained glass includes works by Hardman (1856) and Kempe & Tower (c.1923). The Vivian chapel is dominated by the standing white marble figure of Jesse Vivian (d.1848) by Pietro Tenerani. [Source: Coflein, the online database of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (accessed 19 December 2015)]

Image 2:

Choir stalls, chancel and high altar.

Image 3, 4:

High altar (Image 3), and view down central aisle (Image 4) towards baptistry.

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/swansea12.htm (link opens in new window)