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Christ Church |
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Vicar Fr Edward Davies
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BACKGROUND AND EARLY YEARS Christ Church is one of three post Second World War Anglican places of worship to be build in Cardiff, the other two being the chapel at St Michael’s College, Llandaff, 1957 -1959 and St Mark’s, Gabalfa, dedicated in 1968, and built to replace the previous church which was demolished during extensive road alterations. The Church in Wales was keen to respond to the rapid expansion of north Cardiff in the 1950s and 1960s and even earlier in the 1930s and in particular to serve the areas around Roath Park and Lake. The land on which the church and adjacent church hall now stands was purchased just before the Second World War in 1939. In 1937 at a specially convened parish meeting of Llanishen Parish Church it was decided “that a scheme for providing a church to serve the Lake Road District be proceeded with”. A committee was formed to advance the scheme and there was considerable financial support as a result of public appeals. In April 1939 the site for the new church was bought in Lake Road North, for the sum of £800, out of the funds collected, and the land was vested in the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. Owing to the war the plans for the church were forced into abeyance, and because of the ban on the erection of churches following the war the building of Christ Church did not commence until the 1960s. The work on the church building was started in 1963, the Foundation Stone being laid on 27 May 1963 by Mrs Rita Gibson. The architect was H Norman Haines and the church was built by Norman E James Ltd. The Consecration service was held on 11 March 1964 by the Right Revd Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff. The church became a daughter church to St Isan Llanishen, along with St Denys Lisvane, St Faith Llanishen and Ton-yr-Ywen Heath, and remained as such for thirty years until it was created a parish church with a parish of its own in 1993. It was consecrated as the new parish church at a service held on 8 September 1993 conducted by Bishop Roy, Bishop of Llandaff.Following its beginnings as the centre of the new parish of Llanishen Christ Church, it has undergone several name changes in order to locate it more precisely. In June 1998 following a Decree by Bishop Roy of Llandaff the name was changed to Parish of Cardiff Christ Church and more recently on 2 April 2001 following a decree by Bishop Barry of Llandaff the name of the parish was amended to Parish of Christ Church, Roath Park, Cardiff. Christ Church is built on a square open plan with pronounced glazed gables projecting in three directions and supported internally on concrete pillars. The low aisles are faced with brown brick. The pitched roof is supported by steel lattice trusses on a reinforced concrete ring beam, itself in turn supported by four reinforced concrete columns. The pitched roof covering is natural slate, while the flat roofs are covered with asphalt. Due to the uneven nature of the ground, it having been marshy due to brick working in the earlier part of the century the foundations had to be specially adapted. The design has been influenced by the church of St Paul’s, Bow Common, London (architects, Maguire & Murray), but it is on a simpler scale. Instead of the usual alignment east and west, the altar end at Christ Church is facing to the north west. Various features have been added to the church during the decades, first as a daughter church to St Isan and subsequently as a parish church in its own right. It includes many interesting metalwork features designed by the sculptor, Mr Frank Roper. See Tour Page for further details and photographs
The Church is located close to the Oval, the site of cell of the early celtic christian hermit, St Isan, known as St Isan's well, and there is still, in existence, a large pond fed by a spring at the spot |
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