St Peter's church is situated in a prominent position on the south side of High Street within a churchyard used as a cemetery. It was built in an unusually elaborate mid-fourteenth century Decorated Gothic style in 1858-60 to the designs of Swansea architect J.H.Baylis at the expense of local ironmaster William Parsons. It is constructed of snecked, rock-faced Pennant sandstone with Bath stone dressings under roofs of plain red tiles (banded tones on chancel and organ chamber). It consists of a clerestoried five-bay aisled nave, three-bay chancel with organ chamber on its south side, west porch tower of four stages and spire. Often called the cathedral of the Swansea valley it dominates Pontardawe with its 60m tall tower and spire.
Inside, the rendered walls are unpainted with extensive ashlar dressings. The floors are of coloured tiles but with marble flooring to chancel and sanctuary. The high nave rises to a complex timber roof, the chancel roof is boarded and panelled. Fittings include a Caen stone panelled font in the south aisle (1860), and an ornate Caen stone pulpit of 1860. Stained glass includes works by Newbery (c.1907), Kempe and Tower (1921) and Eric Dilworth (1966).
Sources: extracts from Cadw Listing description; J.Newman, Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan (1995), pp.515-16.

RCAHMW, 15 May 2015