Parish Church of St Mark

Parish Church of St Mark

This is a modern church of striking contemporary design, built in the 1960s as a complete reconstruction of an earlier Victorian parish church. The building complex presents a distinctive geometric composition centred on a double-height pentagonal main church flanked by lower entrance and support ranges to the south and west. A detached square west tower, linked to the main entrance by a canopy roof, completes the group. The buildings are constructed primarily in 'Windsor Grey' Leicestershire brick and reconstituted Cotswold stone blocks, with copper, fibreglass and rubber roofs, and a mixture of windows comprising original metal frames with later timber and uPVC replacements.

The main church structure is formed from ten large laminated Douglas Fir half portal frames arranged in a circular pattern, coupled together with a steel ring beam and faced externally in brick. These frames support a hipped roof rising to a central glazed lantern at the apex, crowned with a green fibreglass cap and spike mimicking copper roofs elsewhere. The western roof slope is broken by a projecting hipped gable with staggered rows of concrete mullions framing glazing between them.

The north-west and south-west walls feature high-level plain two-light top opening windows. The north elevation is mostly glazed with seven tall windows of plain glazing separated by brick piers, with a further wider window at the east end. At the rear, a curved screen wall of stone is separated from the main church by a window panel of small glazing, lighting the east end. The south side is enclosed by a continuation of support buildings with double doors accessed by a flight of steps, with high-level windows to the south wall. A further screen wall links to the Vicarage and incorporates a foundation stone from the earlier church, inscribed 'TO THE GLORY OF GOD – THIS STONE – WAS LAID BY – MRS BUCKLEY – THE VICARAGE – GABALFA – 25TH JUNE 1927 – TAKEN FROM THE OLD CHURCH 1968'.

To the west is a single-storey stone range enclosing a polygonal chapel building with pyramid roof, wide full-height windows in two north elevations, and double doors to the west side. Continuing along the western elevation is the entrance and support range, flat-roofed with skylights. The main entrance, now partly enclosed, features pyramid skylights, followed by a support entrance (now the primary entrance) and five narrow windows lighting the original clubroom, now office and kitchen, with a wide combined door and window to the right return. A taller rectangular hall building set back to the right, constructed in brick with its south elevation mainly glazed, has support buildings continuing behind it to the rear, all under flat roofs with skylights.

The west tower is a tall square structure of reinforced concrete with an open ground-floor stage forming a covered entrance porch. The upper stage is infilled with brick, flush to the front and rear but set diagonally to the sides. The open bell stage is topped by a cross at 75 feet from ground level, made of transparent fibreglass (originally illuminated internally) on a green fibreglass cap. At the base of the brick infill on the front of the tower is a relief in artificial stone of a winged lion with knight's head, the symbol of St Mark, holding an open book inscribed 'SAINT MARK'.

The church is accessed through double doors to the right of centre, leading to an entrance hall in the single-storey support range; double doors to the left lead directly into the church proper.

The interior of the main church is formed from the ten large laminated Douglas Fir half portal frames supporting a central glazed lantern 31 feet above floor level. The walls are brick except for the entrance wall and curved east wall, which are in stone. The north wall is glazed and features a stained-glass window depicting Christ in Majesty blessing St George. The floor is laid in Pangapanga wood block with underfloor heating. The original pews and priests' chairs are of Idigbo timber, as was a pentagonal pulpit now removed. A prayer desk from the old church is retained. A centrally suspended brass candelabrum of thirty lamps in Danish design hangs in the space. The ceiling is of four stages of afromosia boarding, fitted closely at the base with progressively more open and radiating boards in the upper bays. A cantilevered organ gallery overlooks the west entrance, with the console positioned near the vestry door on the south side of the chancel.

The chapel is lit by stained glass salvaged from the old church, depicting Christ, St George and St David, and St Mark and St Michael in new frames with three accompanying brass plaques dedicated as war memorials. A cross made from pitchpine taken from timber used in constructing the old church stands in the chapel. The communion rail has been remodelled from the old church, as has the panelling behind the communion table.

The flat-roofed support range extending south and east from the entrance occupies the space between the church and hall. A meeting room has been converted from the former main entrance. The hall to the south side shares access and administration rooms with the main church building. A foundation stone on the south wall is inscribed 'TO GOD'S GLORY – GLYN BISHOP OF LLANDAFF – BLESSED THIS STONE ON – ST MARK'S DAY 1967 – DURING THE REBUILDING OF THE CHURCH – FIRST CONSECRATED 26 SEPTEMBER 1876'.