St Andrew, Cardiff
St Andrew, Cardiff
St Andrew’s United Reformed Church stands at the junction of Wellfield Road, Penylan Road and Marlborough Road, Roath, Cardiff. Cadw lists it at Grade II* for its architectural contribution to the east end of the Roath Park district, an especially fine spire, and a well-preserved interior.
- Location
- Cardiff, City of Cardiff
- Country
- Wales
- County
- City of Cardiff
- City / town
- Cardiff
- Address
- Penylan Road, Cardiff, City of Cardiff, CF24 3PB
- Postcode
- CF24 3PB
- Built
- 1899–1901
- Architect
- Habershon, Fawckner and Groves
- Denomination
- United Reformed Church
- Dedication
- Andrew
- Grade
- II*
- Style
- Early Decorated Gothic Revival
- Materials
- Coursed rock-faced Pennant sandstone with Bath stone dressings and slate roofs
- Grid reference
- ST 192 780
- Opening hours
- Outside worship on Sunday (11am to 12pm) visitors can contact the church secretary to arrange to be shown around.
- Access
- Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby
Overview
Cadw records a church of 1899–1901 by Habershon, Fawckner & Groves for the English Presbyterians, built at a cost of £11,000 to seat 700 with a further 140 in the west gallery. It opened as Roath Park Presbyterian Church and became a United Reformed church after the 1972 union of Presbyterians and Congregationalists. Fabric is coursed rock-faced Pennant sandstone with Bath stone dressings and a slate roof behind coped gables. The exterior resembles a parish church: lofty nave, north-west tower and spire, shallow transepts, lower narrower chancel housing the organ, and hall and Sunday school to south and east.
The west doorway is modelled on the west door of Tintern Abbey; the five-light west window is said to follow a window at Melrose Abbey. The north-west tower carries a tall octagonal parapet spire with lucarnes and red sandstone bands. Inside, a six-bay hammerbeam roof has cusped brackets and crown posts. The west gallery rests on cast-iron columns by Walter Macfarlane & Co. of Glasgow. Roath Local History Society notes a spire of about 150 feet, the tallest of any nonconformist church in Cardiff, and a builder’s stone to Jas. Allan, 1900.