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Notable Churches in and around Llanelli

The information in this section is an edited version taken from Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees

Other Churches in the Deanery of Kidwelly

St Albans

St Barnabas Mission Room

St David’s, New Dock Road

St John's, Marine Street, Seaside

St John’s Church, Pontyberem

St Paul’s (Welsh), Anne Street

St Peter's, Paddock Street

Christ Church, New Street, Morfa

Dafen St Michaels and All Angels

Furnace Mission Church

Holy Trinity, Felinfoel

Holy Trinity, Pwll

Graiglwyd Mission, Porthdafen

In 1879 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, with the consent of the Bishop of the Diocese, and the Vicar of the parish, formed two new districts out of the Llanelli Parish, and constituted them as separate parishes for ecclesiastical purposes. The district of Felinfoel was given Holy Trinity as its Parish Church and Dafen was given St Michael and All Angels.

This meant that the original parish which had extended from Loughor Bridge to Cwmbach, and from Machynys to Pontyberem was divided into four parishes, Llanelli (St Elli), St Paul’s, Felinfoel, and Dafen, which contained seven churches and two Mission Rooms.

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners were expected to endow each of the churches with £200 each year if it could be shown that each district contained a population of not less than 4,000.


St Paul’s (Welsh), Anne Street

The Church was built in 1849 near the Bigyn and Wern areas in the parish of Saint Paul’s as a Chapel of Ease for St Elli Parish Church. The foundation stone was laid by the Lord Bishop of St David’s and such was the interest that many of the shops closed. Before the ceremony began a platform for the clergy and local dignitaries collapsed, which caused great consternation although there were no serious injuries.

Services were discontinued in 1980 and St Paul’s has been demolished. The graveyard still exists and St Paul’s School has been converted into flats.


St Peter’s, Paddock Street, Llanelli

St Peter's Paddock Street

The Church was established in the Lakefield district of Llanelli on land owned by the Nevill family, close to Field House (Glanmor House), and was consecrated in 1869. Following the closure and subsequent demolition of St Paul’s Church in the Tyisha district of town, St Peter’s, with a Catholic tradition within the Anglican Church, became the parish church.


St John’s, Marine Street, Seaside

St John, Seaside

This church, which is in the Seaside district was built as a Chapel of Ease for St Paul’s. It was consecrated in 1887 and the original building committee was composed entirely of working men, who were prepared to accept the responsibility of paying for the new building. The connection between church and local industry is seen in the east window, which is dedicated in memory of Mr Reginald Holmes of Penyfai whose family was connected with the local tin stamping works.


St Barnabas Mission Room

St Barnabus Mission Room

On the corner of Llewellyn Street and Craddock Street, St Barnabas was originally built as a Chapel of Ease for St Paul’s. The date 1872 is inscribed on the side of the building


Christ Church, New Street, Morfa

Christ Church, Morfa

Built in the New Dock district of town the church, an imposing structure, was consecrated in 1887. The Parish Hall was added to the west wall in1987. Christ Church, was closed for renovation work in 2000, and the congregation used St David’s Church in New Dock.

The Guardian of 8 July 1886 reported the laying of the foundation stone of church:

"Designed in the Gothic style accommodation is provided for for 500 adults. Consisting of nave, north and south aisles, chancel and spacious vestry and organ chambers. The nave is divided from the aisles by a single but proportionate arcade of arches. The church is entered from the west front and under the tower, which is placed on the north east side of the building contains a peel of bells.

"Plans show an open timber roof and the interior walls will be stuccoed. Externally, the church when completed will have, we think, a very pleasing appearance. The walls are to be built with grey stone from the Furnace Abbey and the dressings and tracery in windows will be executed in Bath stone. The contract for the whole church and tower, with fittings complete, is let to Geo Mercer contractor &c., West End for the sum of £2,360 and the Architect is Mr E M Bruce Vaughan A.I.B.A. of Cardiff, who will superintend the erection of the building.

"The ceremony of laying the stone was performed by Mr J H Rogers Aelybryn. Mr John Thomas Chairman of the Building Committee presented Mrs Rogers with a mallet and trowel and in doing so made allusion to the warm interest taken by her husband and herself in church work. The edifice would cost something like £3,000."

Christ Church was forced to close early in the 21st century.


St David’s, New Dock Road, Llanelli

St David's, New Dock

St David’s was built at a cost of £1,805 as a Chapel of Ease for Christ Church and licensed for divine service on 18 October 1892 within the parish of Christ Church. With a seating capacity for 400 persons the church was renovated at the end of the 20th century when a small meeting room and kitchen was added at the west end.

At the beginning of the 21st century Christ Church was forced to close permanently and only St David’s, remains [2007].


Graiglwyd Mission, Porthdafen

Licensed for worship and located in the Porthdafen area to the north east of Felinfoel. This Mission, which was built in 1882 to serve the farming community, held an evening service taken by the lay reader on three Sundays a month and Holy Communion celebrated by the vicar on one Sunday morning. Services were held at the Mission until the late 1950s and it was forced to close officially in 1962.


St John’s Church, Pontyberem

Built in 1894 as a district chapelry of Felinfoel, to serve the new mining community of Pontyberem. [Not to be confused with Capel Ifan/St John’s Chapel, Pontyberem]


Furnace Mission Church

Funace Mission

Furnace Mission, which opened in 1889 at a cost of £520, is a small stone Church with a red tiled roof. For many years the services held were Sunday School and Evensong. In 1952 the Church was licensed for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist which in 2000 was held every Sunday at 9.30 a.m.


All Saints (English), Goring Road

All Saints Goring Road

The church was designed by G E Street at a cost of £8,300 and was consecrated in 1874 and enlarged three years later. To complete the original intention,when additional funding was secured in 1887-88, the nave was lengthened by 30 feet, at a cost of £2,960, but because insufficient money was raised, the intended spire was never built. The church is noted for its wealth of interesting stained glass windows (especially the east window) which make it seem rather dark.

The church, intended for English speaking members of St Elli Parish Church on land given by Rees Goring Thomas of The Plas, Llannon, was built during the incumbency of Canon David Williams.

All Saints was the largest church in the Parish of Llanelli and has a fine Christus Rex by Jonah Jones.

Extensive Parish Records are available.


St Alban’s Church, Llanelli

St Albans

The Church was built by the architect E M Bruce Vaughan and cost £13,000. The nave has six bays and a timbered hammer-beam roof. The chancel roof reflects the 14th century decorated style and is one of four churches in the parish of Llanelli.

St Albans is dedicated to the martyred saint and reflects the name of the first of the Stepney family to settle in West Wales (Alban Stepney).


St Michael’s and All Angels, Dafen

St Michaels and All Angels

Around 1868, just before Edward Nunes Phillips became the new owner of Ael y Bryn, Felinfoel, he took over management of the Dafen Tinplate Works. On 29 September 1874, Bishop Thirwall consecrated St Michael’s & All Angels Church, Dafen.

The new church under the patronage of Edward Nunes Phillips and financed by Phillips, Nunes & Company, was designed and built by G E Street, the architect who had also designed the renovation works at Ael y Bryn. St Michael’s and All Angels – which cost £6,000 to build – has a uniquely designed turret and many beautiful stained glass windows. Edward Nune's wife, Cecil Mary, died in childbirth in 1878, at the age of 32 years, and is the only member of the family to be buried in the family vault. Following her death, Edward Nunes Phillips, like other local businessmen, involved in tinplate production, emigrated to America.

In 1879 when separate parishes were constituted, Dafen became a parish in its own right, and was given St Michael’s and All Angels as its Parish Church.


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Page updated Thursday July 19, 2007