St Theodore's Church

The Church of St Theodore was designed by John Loughborough Pearson of London; a famous architect of his time who had undertaken the restoration work at Westminster Abbey and designed Truro Cathedral. The church was built between 1895-7 and cost about £25,000. Apart from the organ, which was paid for by the public, the cost was borne by a local landowner Emily Charlotte Talbot of Margam Park and was built in memory of her brother Theodore (d.1876) and sister Olive (d.1894).

St Theodore’s was consecrated by the Bishop of Llandaff on the 5th August 1897 and was originally part of the Parish of Margam, built to accommodate the growing population of Port Talbot.

Constructed of local blue-grey specked sandstone with bath stone dressings under tile roofs, this Grade II* Listed Building underwent a major restoration project in 1997 to coincide with and mark its centenary.

Emily Talbot

Emily Charlotte Talbot was born on 1 August 1840 and died on 21 September 1918.
She was an heiress and industrialist of SouthWales, the daughter of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.

Following the death of her brother, Theodore, in 1876, Emily became the heiress to her father's fortune and his estates at Margam and Penrice, which she inherited on his death in 1890.
She made her home at Margam Castle, although spent much time at her London residence. Emily did not marry, and on 26 September 1918 was buried in the family vault in The Church of the Virgin Mary, Margam. (Margam Abbey). Renowned for her generosity, she was especially interested in education, religion (particularly the Anglican Tractarian Movement) and employment. Miss Talbot kept open collieries that were not profitable in order that workers' families may have food and shelter, at considerable cost to herself.

An obituary of the time noted that she was one of the wealthiest women in Great Britain who "combined with a benevolent spirit a rare business aptitude, and to her foresight and energy may be largely attributed the development and prosperity of Port Talbot from a small village to a thriving town possessing docks, steel works, and important railway junctions."

The Church of St Theodore
Talbot Road
PORT TALBOT
SA13 1LB

Parish Office
The St Mary's Parish Centre,
St Mary's Place
PORT TALBOT
SA12 6DZ

01639 883123
open Monday and Thursday 12pm to 3pm and Tuesday 10am to 1pm

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