St. Alban's R.C. Church

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed for its special architectural interest as a good example of a Catholic missionary church of the 1840s which was designed by a notable Catholic architect. The building retains its original external character, and has some good post-war fittings. High townscape value and group value with the adjoining presbytery and surrounding walls. History: The rise of industry in S Wales in the early C19 brought with it a growing Catholic population, and there were around 600 Catholics in the town of Pontypool in 1838. Missions were established across the S Wales mining districts to serve this population, and one was set up in Pontypool in 1844. In the same year construction of the church began and it was completed by 1846 and opened by Dr Brown, Bishop of Newport and Menevia. The architect for the church was J J Scoles who used an economical version of the then fashionable Neo-Norman style, and similar to his designs from a few years earlier at St David’s, Cardiff. Within a few years the Catholic population of the town had increased to 870 and the mission was taken over in 1860 by the Capuchin Franciscans from Pantasaph, Flintshire. They eventually established their house of studies on the site and led by Fr Elzear Torreggiani OSF (later Bishop of Armidale, New South Wales) missions were established from Pontypool including Abersychan (1863), Risca (1868), Abertillery (1875-6) and Cwmbran (1882). The church was extended to the W with a gallery added, probably in 1881-2, increasing the capacity to 240. The adjoining presbytery was added c1870-1 and served as the house of studies until 1891 when the Franciscans left and the church was run by secular priests. After temporary closure in the early 1950s it was renovated and reordered under the direction of F

From Cadw under OGL v3.