St. Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea

The Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph, commonly known as Saint Joseph's Cathedral or Swansea Cathedral, is a Grade II-listed Catholic cathedral located in the Greenhill area of Swansea. Originally built as a church in the late 19th century, it became the seat of the Bishop of Menevia and the mother church of the Diocese of Menevia in 1987.

Designed by Peter Paul Pugin, the building was conceived by Father Wulstan Richards, OSB, and construction began in 1875. Despite ongoing work, the church was officially opened on 25 November 1888. The transition from church to cathedral took place over a century later, in 1987, following the redefinition of the Diocese of Menevia. That same year, it received its Grade II-listed status, acknowledging its architectural and historical significance.

The cathedral's design follows a traditional apsidal chancel layout, flanked by side chapels and featuring a seven-bay aisled nave. Its striking polygonal tower with a spire in the northwest corner and twin porches on the western facade adds to its visual appeal. The building's materials include coursed bull-nosed masonry with Bath stone dressings and red Dumfries stone, particularly notable in the nave piers and respond. The modern pantile roof complements the building's historic elements, such as the gabled parapet topped with finial and Geometric traceried windows.

Inside, the nave's clerestory windows fill the space with light, while the ceiling's radiating ribs add a sense of grandeur. The intricate architectural details, including the corbelled gable and finial on the east facade, reflect the craftsmanship that went into this late-Victorian structure. Today, Saint Joseph's Cathedral remains a key religious and architectural landmark in Swansea.