Roman Catholic Church of St Michael

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Included for its special architectural interest as a relatively unaltered and early example of a Catholic church, by a leading architect in this field. Group value with Presbytery to rear, and Hall to N. History: Built 1851 by Charles Hansom, architect (1816-88), one of the leading architects of Roman Catholic churches in the mid-C19. Brecon had been a centre of Catholic recusancy and was served by a resident priest from 1788. By 1850 there were around 200 regular worshippers and a larger church was required in place of the chapel that had been established by the first resident priest in a converted inn, in the late C18. The exterior of the church survives largely unaltered. The interior has been reordered and redecorated (including renovations of repainting and recarpeting, 2010 under Fr Ross Patterson) but largely retains its original character. The great Spanish soprano Adelina Patti, who lived at Craig-y-Nos Castle, married her third husband, Baron Cederstrom in the church in 1899. Exterior: Simple Gothic style. Walls faced with grey rubble arranged in courses; pale ashlar dressings. Slate roof. Narrow SE (liturgical W) end of church facing Wheat Street with flanking buttress, battered plinth; shallow projection in centre with its sides tapering inwards towards apex of gable; two-light window at ground level and a small canopied niche above; bellcote with 2 openings, its gable with cruciform finial. Small Gothic archway to R. Buttressed SW wall of nave of 5 bays; battered plinth and tall narrow lancet windows; gabled ashlar entrance towards E end of SW nave wall. Lower chancel with group of 3 lancets, gabled end with 3-light Decorated style window with coloured borders with sacred monograms. Interior: Nave of 5 bays has timber roof with sciss

From Cadw under OGL v3.