- St Paul's Church, Colwyn Bay
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St Paul's Church, Colwyn Bay 
St Paul's Church, Colwyn Bay, from the southeastCoordinates: 53°17′38″N 3°43′35″W / 53.2939°N 3.7265°W OS grid reference SH 850 788 Location Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay Country Wales Denomination Anglican Website St Paul, Colwyn Bay History Dedication Saint Paul Consecrated 13 July 1888 Architecture Status Parish church Functional status Active Heritage designation Grade II* Designated 25 July 1994 Architect(s) Douglas & Fordham Architectural type Church Style Gothic Revival Groundbreaking 1887 Completed 1911 Administration Parish Colwyn Bay with Bryn-Y-Maen Deanery Rhos Archdeaconry St Asaph Diocese St Asaph Province Wales Clergy Vicar(s) Fr Nigel H. Williams Laity Reader Michael Cotterell, George Wilson Organist(s) Bryn Heywood St Paul's Church, Colwyn Bay is the parish church of the town of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Rhos, the archdeaconry of St Asaph, and the Diocese of St Asaph.[1] It is a Grade II* listed building.[2]
Contents
History
The first religious building on the site was a mission room in 1872 which was replaced by an iron and timber church in 1880. This building was burnt down in 1886.[3] The present church was designed by the Chester firm of Douglas & Fordham and built in stages. The nave was built in 1887–88 and the chancel was added between 1894 and 1895. The tower was started in 1910 and completed the following year.[4] It was the last major project to be undertaken by John Douglas but he died before it was completed.[5][6] In 1920 a narthex with a west door, designed by W. D. Caroe, was added as a war memorial.[4]
Architecture and contents
The church is large and cruciform, built in coursed rubble limestone with Runcorn red sandstone dressings and bands. The nave of five bays is broad with low arcades and a tall clerestory. The windows are lancets, with a rose window in the south transept. The tower is "bold, craggy and heavily buttressed".[4]
Internally there is a sedilia in the chancel, designed by Douglas. The stalls are carved with detail which is in "typical Douglas" style.[4] The reredos and riddle posts, dating from 1934–35, were designed by Caroe and are elaborately carved.[4] Depicted on the reredos are representations of the Supper at Emmaus and the Annunciation together with figures of Saint Kentigern, Saint Asaph, St Aidan and the Venerable Bede.[7] In the west window and in the two narthex windows is stained glass designed by Horace Wilkinson in 1920–21.[4] The first stage of the organ was built by Peter Connacher and Son in 1888. It was completed when the nave was built in 1891 and rebuilt by John Cowin in 1960.[3]
Hubbard describes the church as "an extraordinary building" and suggests that it might be Douglas' "prodigy church of its decade".[8]
Associated buildings
Dating from 1895 the adjacent church hall was also designed by Douglas and Fordham, as was the vicarage.[4]
Current activities
The Eucharist is celebrated in the church on Sundays and Thursdays[9] and the church runs a Sunday school for children.[10]
See also
- List of new churches by John Douglas
There is a long standing choir with committed members. This is the largest choir in the parish by far and one of the largest in the diocese. Young members are encouraged to attend and take part in practice and services and other events. At the present time, the choir is flourishing and has been successful in it's bid for funding, requested by the Association.
Notes
- ^ About Colwyn Bay Parish, Parish of Colwyn Bay, archived from the original on 2009-10-25, http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/colwynbayparish/information.html&date=2009-10-25+17:48:47, retrieved 19 May 2009
- ^ Listed Buildings in Wales: Conwy, Cadw
- ^ a b Specification & Brief History of the Organ, Parish of Colwyn Bay, archived from the original on 2009-10-25, http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/colwynbayparish/organ.html&date=2009-10-25+17:48:49, retrieved 19 May 2009
- ^ a b c d e f g Hubbard, Edward (1986), The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd, London: Penguin, p. 135, ISBN 0 14 071052 3
- ^ Hubbard 1991, pp. 8–9.
- ^ Hubbard 1991, p. 204.
- ^ Churches and Worship Centres, Parish of Colwyn Bay, archived from the original on 2009-10-25, http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/colwynbayparish/churches.html&date=2009-10-25+17:48:44, retrieved 19 May 2009
- ^ Hubbard 1991, p. 175.
- ^ Services, Parish of Colwyn Bay, archived from the original on 2009-10-25, http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/colwynbayparish/services.html&date=2009-10-25+17:48:53, retrieved 19 May 2009
- ^ Children and Young People, Parish of Colwyn Bay, archived from the original on 2009-10-25, http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/colwynbayparish/children.html&date=2009-10-25+17:48:41, retrieved 19 May 2009
Bibliography
- Hubbard, Edward (1991), The Work of John Douglas, London: The Victorian Society, ISBN 0-901657-16-6
Categories:- Religious buildings completed in 1911
- 20th-century Anglican church buildings
- Gothic Revival architecture in Wales
- Churches in Conwy county borough
- Anglican churches in Wales
- John Douglas buildings
- Anglican congregations established in the 19th century
- 19th-century church buildings
- Grade II* listed churches
- Grade II* listed buildings in Conwy county borough
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