St John's Church, Maindee

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed as large and dominating mid C19 parish church by well-known S Wales architects in a strongly Geometric style. Group value with The Lawns and Cambrian House. History: Built by Prichard and Seddon 1859-66 to serve the developing area of Maindee, a suburb of Newport comprising areas of modest terrace housing at river level and grander terraces and detached villas on the hillside. Steeple not extant was designed by J Coates Carter in 1911; photograph of that date shows building without the upper storey of the tower, the building finishing at main roof level. N aisle was added at same date. The church suffered some bomb damage and was more severely damaged by an arsonist in 1949 and subsequently restored. The capitals and chancel arch were designed to have been enriched with foliage moulding which was never carried out and the restoration repeated this unfinished quality. Exterior: Large parish church in Geometric Gothic Revival style. Built of coursed Old Red sandstone rubble with Bath-stone dressings creating a decorative polychrome effect, particularly on window surrounds, voussoirs, quoins and with plentiful banding especially on tower; hoodmoulds with stops, some of which reputedly depict local personalities, and a continuous stepped sill-band. Steeply pitched Welsh slate roof with stone corbels and apex crosses. Wide and elaborate W front with tall and wide tower at SE adjoining S aisle with narrow S porch, nave with W porch and N aisle, the 3 main units with separate pitched roofs of almost the same height and width. Chancel not separate from nave extends to E. Tower is 3-storeyed with crocketed pinnacles and gargoyles at each corner; originally intended to support a spire; blind arcading to parapet, tiered buttresses with offsets at cor

From Cadw under OGL v3.