THIS week's From the Archive looks at a picture from the last century of St Augustine's Church.

The church, located in St Augustine's Place, Penarth, is a Grade I-listed Gothic Revival nineteenth-century parish church situated on the Penarth Headland with views over to Cardiff Bay and beyond.

Records indicate that a church has been on the site since 1242 - however this was demolished and the current church was designed and built by architect William Butterfield in 1865 and 1866.

In his book The Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan published in 1995, John Newman described St Augustine’s as “one of Butterfield’s finest churches, big boned and austere outside".

It was commissioned by the Harriet Windsor-Clive, 13th Baroness Windsor as the previous building was not big enough for the parish. The church has not differed much since it was built, aside from the church tower now has eight bells instead of six after they were recast in the 1930s.

The church also has a William Hill organ - built by William Hill in 1895. It is a 3-manual organ and is regarded as one of the best organs in the country.

St Augustine's also has the Roll of Honour - which contains most of the names of most of the men who died. However 100 men are honoured on the official War Memorial in Alexandra Park.

There is also a group called The Friends of St Augustine's which was formed by church members and from people outside the church. The group maintains the building and is a independent body with its own bank account and is a not for profit charity.

All money by raised by the group goes back to the church, churchyard and maintaining both the interior and exterior.

The Friends of St Augustine's are always looking for new volunteers to help them conserve the church yard and are currently clearing up the churchyard.

For more information about the group, visit friendsofstaugustines.org.

Thank you to Ruth Rixson from the Images of Bygone Penarth Group for letting us use this image.