Churches

Church of St Mary, Ynysmeudwy

Unfortunately, St Mary's Church, is in the process of being made redundant due to the failing state, of the building, which has become unsafe in places with the erosion and weathering of the sandstone. St Mary's Church was the gift of the Gilbertson family. This family had succeeded Mr William Parsons in the steelworks of Pontardawe, and as the population of the valley grew, Mrs Gilbertson encouraged her husband to build a church in Ynysmeudwy. She acquired land from her mother, Mrs Illtyd Thomas of Glanmor, Swansea, and Mr J. Cook Rees of Neath was employed to design the church and Messrs Price Brothers of Cardiff undertook the building work. The church was consecrated by the Right Reverend John Owen on 21 February 1913 The church is Gothic in design, but underwent major work in 2003. The pews were removed and chairs installed, along with a nave altar, a new heating system, and new wood flooring. In 1997, with the closure of All Saints' Church, Pontardawe, the original pulpit and reredos were removed from St Mary's Church, and the pulpit and reredos from All Saints' Church were installed.

Church of St Peter, Pontardawe

St Peter's Church was the gift of Mr William Parsons, who saw the work on building the church begin in 1858. It was completed in 1862, and consecrated by the Right Reverend Connop Thirlwall, Bishop of St David's on 31 July 1862. The church at Llangiwg was small and could not accommodate the growing population brought about by the industrialisation of the valley. Much of the industrialisation had been brought about by his own steel and tinplate works. He was also concerned that the new church should direct people's gaze towards God, rather than the chimneys of his works. To this end, he employed J.H. Bayliss of Swansea to design the new church, and Mr J. Holtham to execute the work. On its completion, people travelled on the newly opened railway to view the spectacle. One local paper of the time recorded people's comments: two of which were "it will doubtless make the hitherto insignificant village a well-known and noted place" and "its magnificence is unrivalled in Wales." Not surprisingly, the church gained the epithet "the Cathedral of the Swansea Valley." Locals still refer to it lovingly as such to this day. The spire of St Peter's Church rises 208 feet (64 metres) from the ground, and it is surmounted by two keys pointing heavenward. "To you I give the keys of the Kingdom of heaven" - Jesus' words to Simon Peter. For his inspiration, J.H. Bayliss took the architecture of the Late Decorated Gothic designers. As with all buildings of this architectural design, the stone carvings are flowery and exquisite. The church measures 112 feet (34.46 metres) in length, 54 feet (16.61 metres) in width and 55 feet (16.92 meetres) in height. It has a seating capacity of around 350 people. The church has floodlighting which is sponsored by individuals to mark special occasions in their lives.