Church of Saint Matthew, Dyffryn

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Included as a well-detailed and furnished High Victorian estate church with surviving stencil decoration (cf St David s Church, Neath). History: Anglican parish church built 1871 to designs by John Norton of London and Bristol for Howel Gwyn of Dyffryn, died 1888. Rees Roderick of Margam was the contractor, the work cost 4,500 and the tower was completed 1875. Added vestry of 1884-5 and lean-to on W end of 1900. There was a brass chancel screen of 1884, removed in 1923-4 for present oak screen. The painted decorations were restored in 1934 under DM Davies JP. Exterior: Anglican parish church, squared rock-faced Pennant rubble stone (from Howel Gwyn s quarries) with Bath stone dressings and roofs of slates with bands of fishscale slating. The slates of nave roof are original of a pale grey colour, the other roofs have been renewed. Coped gables with stone cross finials, ashlar quoins, battered plinth, sill-course below windows. Early Decorated style. Tall narrow lancet windows to nave, traceried chancel and W windows. Ashlar eaves cornices, corbelled to chancel. Doors are generally pointed and roll-moulded. SW porch tower, nave, chancel with N vestry and organ chamber. Tower is of two tall stages. High plinth with moulded top and moulded string-course continued from hoodmould of pointed S door. Door has double-chamfered and stopped sides, roll-moulded head, and pierced timber gates. Within porch, S doorway in deep pointed reveal with stencil decoration, both arches roll-moulded. Doors with big scroll hinges. NE corner Caernarfon arched door to tower stair. High panelled ceiling. Above outside S entry, statue of St Matthew on column linked to hoodmould apex, under gabled canopy. Above, on each face, is pair of small plain rectangular lights in ashl

From Cadw under OGL v3.