"The parish of Baglan, situated towards the north of the town of Port Talbot has three Churches within its boundaries, only two of these are now used. One of these, the Mother Church, is St. Catharines Church, the other is St. Baglans Church. The third, the first St. Baglans Church, is now a shell after a fire in 1954. The Vicar is the Revd. Canon David W. Lewis

"The foundation stone for St. Catharine's - a Grade 1 Listed Church - is the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Griffith Llewellyn of Baglan Hall, and dedicated to St. Catharine of Alexandria. It was laid on June 26th 1875, and consecrated by Dr Ollivant, Bishop of Llandaff, on March 7th 1882.

"St. Catharine's is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic in the early Decorated style of the late fourteenth century, built according to the plans of John Pritchard, the Diocesan Architect. The church is cruciform in shape, measures 79 feet from east to west, and 45 feet at its widest, and can seat two hundred people. It has been said that according to local tradition, its builder and donor, Griffith Llewellyn of Baglan Hall, insisted that its erection should take seven years. If any workman did more or less than his allotted amount of work each day, he was dismissed for laziness or carelessness as the case might be. He also insisted that all preparatory work such as stone dressing and carpentry should be done outside the boundary wall of the churchyard so that neither hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron, be heard in the house while it is in the building. It is also believed that there were no nails used.

"The masonry is built of alternate thin and thick courses of local stone, the dressing being of red sandstone from the Forest of Dean. The belfry tower and spire are of the same stone rising in lovely proportions to the gilded weather cock. The west window is a good example of geometric design. Notice also the variety in the gable crosses and in the window tracery.

"Inside the porch are two sculptured heads. These represent the Donor and the Consecrator. Inside, the whole conception is of a Cathedral in miniature. There is the unity, solidity and grace of the design complemented by the craftsmanship of every detail. The eye is led through the vista of the chancel arches which support the belfry to the Altar, raised from the floor level of the Nave by eight steps of Devonshire marble. The walls are of Bridgend stone of a greenish hue, banded with Forest of Dean red, and Penarth Alabaster. The roof and the pews are of Baglan oak, and the pew ends are all different.

"In the Sanctuary, we notice the beauty of the East window. In the centre light hangs a beardless Christ, on a tree whose branches fill the top of the window, blossoming forth into the fruits of the Spirit. Around him are the angels of the Passion kissing his sacred wounds, and on either side stand the Virgin Mary and St. John. The background is a vine bearing grapes, representing the Church. The window was designed by Sir Edward Burne Jones. Supporting the vaulting of the roof are carved angels each holding an instrument of the Passion.

"The Reredos consists of an arcade of alabaster, with marble pillars, and on either side of the window are Italian tiles depicting a lily and a passion flower. Behind the Altar is an incised picture depicting the Resurrection.

"The floor is of Italian mosaic with rich colours and intricate design. A stained glass window depicting St. Catharine is installed high up in the south wall.

"The Choir Stalls are made of oak from the Baglan estate and are backed with an arcade of cusped arches. The carved terminals of the clergy stalls represent St. Catharine. One figure holds the wheel on which the Emperor Maxentius condemned the saint to be broken. The other figure holds a book, the emblem of her learning, the crown depicts her royal blood. She was martyred in about A.D.290.

"Heads carved on the four great pillars which support the corbelled shafts of the tower arches are those of the four Evangelists with their emblems. St. Matthew and a calf: St. Mark and a lion: St. John and an eagle: St. Luke and an angel. Other heads represent a King, a Queen, a Knight and a Bishop. Two heads look down on the nave from the Chancel arch. They signify Life and Death.

"The North Transept is used as a Choir Vestry and also contains the organ. This has two manuals and eighteen stops, and is by Willis of London. The organ loft was built when the transept was extended in 1899. An addition of three stops was made to the organ in July 1910.

"The Lady Chapel is in the South Transept which has a stained glass window with figures holding different musical instruments - the central figure is that of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.

"The Brancuf Stone, of considerable archaeological significance, is built into the wall of the vestry. It was found in use as a coping stone in the old churchyard, evidence that the Old Church is on the site of an earlier Celtic building. Dr E.V. Nash describes it as, Roughly shaped rectangular slab, decorated and inscribed, 27 ins, by 16 ins., carved Latin Wheel Cross in low relief formed of double beaded interlacing, embodying Stafford knots in the arm ends and a square of eight cord knot-work in the stem. Latin inscription reading vertically downwards and brancuf.'

"One of the most cherished possessions of Church Plate is a Silver Communion Cup used for 200 years at the Old Church, and still used on special occasions. It is inscribed Baglond in dotted line, hallmarked 1624.

"The pulpit is octagonal in shape, with traceried panels of red stone over alabaster, and rests on a single stem of a central pillar, surrounded by eight stone columns. At the base there is some rich mosaic work. There is a very fine carved central panel portraying the commissioning of the Apostles by our Lord - 'Go ye and teach all nations'.

"The general design of the font is similar, stone inset with alabaster, supported by marble columns, with panels of symbolic design. At the west end of the church, in the north corner is what appears to be an old stone font - possibly Norman.

"There are six bells. The treble and the tenor were cast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1882, the remaining four being added in 1889. Four smaller bells have the names of sons of Mr and Mrs. W.R. Llewellyn viz. Willie, Griffith, Jack and Godfrey. "