History

Chapel built 1878 at a cost of £2250, following establishment of Independent Cause in Blaenllechau 1859 and building of Methodist Chapel Carmel there 1860s; during Revival of 1904 new front bay was added by Lewis and Morgan which filled in former forecourt, extending capacity from 500 to 750, at a cost of £2750.

Exterior

Built of coursed rock-faced sandstone with dressings of ashlar and rough tooled stone, a mix of red and green sandstone; rendered to side and rear above snecked rock faced stone basement; artificial slate roof with ridge tiles and brick side chimney. Frontage comprises a central bay of two storeys which breaks forward and on either side two slightly lower bays with single long staircase windows. The central bay has at gallery level 4 round headed windows of coloured glass with circular tracery under moulded arches with continuous moulded impost band; ashlar panels below sills; above is a large inscription panel 'Penuel Methodistiaid Calfinaidd' incorporating carved foliage; rough tooled quoins and kneelers support a wider and heavily moulded cornice which is surmounted by a stepped parapet with flat coping; ground floor of rough tooled channelled sandstone with ashlar band and cornice has a pair of high central square headed doorways with moulded red sandstone surrounds and 4 mullioned lights above, double plank doors with decorative hinges and iron railed outer gates. The side bays each have a long narrow round arched coloured glass window with red and grey ashlar surround incorporating a keystone with date panels above, the cornice meeting main bay at kneeler level. Continuous plinth across frontage.

To side, one bay of 1904 and four bays of the earlier chapel; gallery has round headed 4/2 pane horned sash windows with sills, ground floor has 2/2 pane sashes, basement has 4/4 pane sashes with margin glazing; current entrance is down steps from street on right. Rear end is blank except for roof light. Roof of front bay is hipped behind parapet to join main roof, with hipped cross gables to side bays.

Interior

Raked 3 sided gallery has moulded polished wood front incorporating painted relief patterned panels, deep panelled coving, supported by cast iron piers with foliage capitals. 2 part ceiling has one main rose within ribbed plaster panels and a smaller one above the gallery; walls are scribed. Ground floor is not raked, set fawr has flanking staircases and to rear plaster reredos with pilasters and pediment behind and deacon's enclosure in front; set fawr replaced; wooden floor now carpeted. Vestibule of 1904 has central double doors with coloured glazing, formerly also to stairs, planked dados, ceiling rose, enriched scribing to walls. Meeting rooms, vestry and Sunday School in basement still retain wood and iron combined tables/ benches, planked dado, cast iron columns, 4 panelled doors with moulded surrounds; coal cellar, exterior toilets; former classroom now converted to kitchen etc.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for the special interest and quality of its 1904 frontage and furnishing as well as for the survival of much of the fabric of 1878.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29495224

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas