St Martin of Tours
Roath, City of Cardiff
All are welcome at St Martin in Roath, we very much hope that you will be able to join us.
The church began life as a tin tabernacle in 1879. This structure, built to serve the large numbers of railroad workers who lived in the district, was enlarged in 1885. Work began on the permanent church in 1895, with £3000 being contributed to the project by the Mackintosh of Mackintosh. The aisles and nave were dedicated in 1897. The chancel was added in 1901.
The architect's original plans had included a grand tower of similar dimensions to that of St John's in Cardiff city centre. The tower was begun in 1913 (a lady chapel being installed at the same time), but the plans proved overambitious, and only the lowermost portion of the tower was ever built, which does not even stretch above the roof of the nave. The reredos was installed by John Coates Carter in 1924. The church became Grade II listed in 1975. The west window of the nave, which dates from 1919, is the largest in the Diocese of Llandaff.
We have a long association with Cardiff University and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as historically St Teilo’s was the University Church. We welcome students from all the educational institutions of Cardiff. St Teilo’s tradition is based on a robed choir of a high standard so we especially welcome singers of whatever voice!