Visiting Tredegarville Baptist Church, Cardiff, Wales: A Neogothic Statement by W. G. Habershon, Completed in 1862

[NB: Among the many notable buildings which are the subject of these hubpages, these may include religious buildings, described as churches, etc.; these descriptions centre on the buildings' architectural and historical interest.

This visit occurred a number of years ago.]

At the intersection of East Grove and The Parade, in Tredegarville — now part of Roath, Cardiff, Wales — stands a building which continues to be known as Tredegarville Baptist Church.

Features of the building include a profusion of pointed arches, and a number of flying buttresses, which together contribute to making a strong statement in Neogothic styling. The structure is executed in limestone.

Often buildings which exhibit the Neogothic style include pinnacles; and, while these are superficially absent today at Tredegarville Baptist Church, historically two pinnacles were indeed present on the structure as originally built, but these were removed. There are some notable stained glass windows in the building.

The design of the building was the responsibility of W. G. Habershon (1).

Tredegarville Baptist Church was built on land supplied by Lord Tredegar (2). Interestingly, the cruciform shape of the building was apparently influenced by the insistance on this significant design detail by Lord Tredegar.

The cause of the congregation using the building has been known for its historic evangelical and mission outlook: Henry Richards (see photo, supplied, below), sent from the church, collaborated in the Congo mission established by David Livingstone (3). As well as serving as a meeting place for its congregation's needs, the building has been regularly hired by other groups such as independent churches from the Cardiff area.

Situated close to Newport Road, an important Cardiff thoroughfare, Tredegarville Baptist Church has notable proximity also to Cardiff University's Queen's Buildings.

April 18, 2020

Notes

(1) W. G. Habershon, from a family of architects, belonged to the Habershon and Fawckner practice, which designed numerous buildings in the Cardiff area and elsewhere, including many church buildings, especially Nonconformist Chapels, and in particular the Cardiff Mansion House (formerly, The Grove), the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Cardiff. Habershon Street in nearby Splott is named for the practice.

(2) Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar (1792-1875) served in Parliament, repeatedly elected as a Member for Brecon; he notably served also as High Sheriff of Monmouthshire, High Sheriff of Brecknockshire and Lord Lieutentant of Monmouthshire.

(3) This work was described in: Mrs. H. Grattan Guinness, The New World of Central Africa, With A History of the First Christian Mission on the Congo, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1890.

Some sourcing: Wikipedia

In Cardiff itself, other noted visitor attractions include: the Welsh National War Memorial, Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff Castle, the statue of Aneurin Bevan in Queen Street, Llandaff Cathedral and many others.

...

How to get there: United Airlines flies to London Heathrow Airport , from where car rental is available. London Heathrow is approximately 222 kilometres from Cardiff . There are fast railroad links between London and Cardiff. Some facilities mentioned may be withdrawn without notice. For up to date information, you are advised to check with the airline or your travel agent.

MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada.