NEW CHURCH ON THE HEIGHTS - St. Nicholas‑on‑the‑Hill

NEW CHURCH ON THE HEIGHTS

St. Nicholas‑on‑the‑Hill

Dedication Service To‑morrow

South Wales Daily Post — July 1924

St. Nicholas‑on‑the‑Hill

The rapid growth of the Mount Pleasant district — long known as Town Hill — has brought with it a pressing need for expanded church accommodation. Where once a sparse scattering of dwellings clung to the slope, there now stands a thriving community of nearly 2,000 souls, and the spiritual provision of earlier years has proved insufficient for the demands of this enlarged population.

Recognising the urgency of the matter, the Rev. Watkin Davies, vicar of St. Jude’s, Mount Pleasant, set himself to secure a suitable site upon the crest of the hill. His efforts have now borne fruit in the form of an imposing new church, designed by Messrs. W. H. Harding & Co., following the plans of architects C. S. Thomas and Herbert Jones, of Wind‑street. The building, known as St. Nicholas‑on‑the‑Hill, has been erected at a cost of £3,000, and will be formally opened and dedicated to‑morrow.

At 3 p.m., the Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Swansea and Brecon will conduct the dedication service, after which the Rev. W. H. Harding will preach. Additional services will follow on Sunday, when the Rev. R. M. Cole‑Hamilton will occupy the pulpit, and on Monday evening, when the Ven. Archdeacon Rice will preach.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH

The new church has been designed to seat about 300 worshippers, providing accommodation in the main church, sanctuary, vestries for clergy and choir, a kitchen, lavatories for both sexes, and a small clubroom. It forms part of a comprehensive scheme, and will ultimately serve as a parish hall when the larger church and parsonage — for which provision has already been made — are erected in due course.

Architecturally, the building adopts a Romanesque‑inspired style, adapted for brick construction. The materials include 2‑inch bricks for plinths and dressings, handmade tiles for the roofs, and rough‑cast cement upon brickwork for the main walls. The windows are leaded lights in steel casements, lending a sturdy yet graceful character to the exterior.

Within, the church possesses an open timber roof, giving the interior a warm and dignified aspect. The seats and fittings have been transferred from the old Church of St. Nicholas, Gloucester‑place, preserving a tangible link with the parish’s earlier history. The building is lit throughout by electric light, and the oak altar table, crafted by Mr. Phillips of Dillwyn‑street from the architect’s design, forms a handsome centrepiece to the sanctuary.