St Ann's church lies about 0.5km west of Talygarn House, on the south side of Brynsadler, and is reached by path or minor road west of Cowbridge Road. It was built in 1887 to designs of G.T.Clark of Talygarn House, well-known antiquary and the manager of the Dowlais Ironworks, in memory of his wife Ann Price Clark (d.1885) (details on memorial tablet). The church stands next to an older chapel of ancient foundation, which had been restored in 1687 by Sir Leoline Jenkins, but now standing roofless in the churchyard.
It is constructed of snecked, rock-faced stone and tile roofs. Designed in a generally Perpendicular style with Decorated east window, it consists of three-bay nave with porch, lower and narrower chancel with lean-to vestry against the gable end, and four-square three-stage south tower built against the chancel. Inside, the nave has a collar-beam roof strengthened by sinuous diagonal struts rising from moulded corbels, the chancel has a boarded polygonal ceiling with thin ribs. Fittings include piscina with a projecting fluted bowl, a cusped arch and hood with foliage stops; octagonal font with moulded base and tall stem, and a small bowl; and octagonal stone pulpitwith panels with blind cusped arches and standing on a thin pedestal. Stained glass is in the style of Burne-Jones.
Sources:
Extracts from Cadw Listing description.
J.Newman, Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan (1995), p.626.

RCAHMW, 29 May 2015

St Ann's is a stone built church with a tower.