Bryn Du Chapel, Llanfaelog, Isle of Anglesey

History

Built in 1901; the fourth of the chapels to be built on and near this site, and dated by raised lettering on the facade. In 1793 the first non-conformist chapel in the area was built at Bryn Du. This was superceded by a more elaborate and grander chapel building which was constructed c.20ft (6mtrs) away in 1814, and in the summer of 1859 the original chapel was demolished and the third chapel built. The present chapel was built in 1901, at a cost of £3,700, a sum which gave rise to a massive, oppressive debt; but, "through striving" and "various industries" money was raised by the congregation and the debt reduced to £550.

Exterior

A Renaissance style, 2-storey, gable entry chapel. Rendered elevations throughout, front elevation with ashlar scoring; slate roof with red clay ridge tiles. The entrance elevation is strongly symmetrical and pedimented; the moulded pediment is broken by a rounded-arched head to a central recessed bay and the facade broken by a continuous first floor sill band. The central bay has the entrance at ground floor; a round-headed arched entrance, with engaged fluted Corinthian pilasters supporting a moulded arch with stressed keystone. The square-headed double doors are under a round-headed fanlight of 2 panes. All the windows are slightly recessed sashes with margin panes; first floor windows are round-headed, with engaged Ionic pilasters as jambs supporting moulded arches with stressed keystones. The recessed central bay has an arcade of 3 windows and a blind, keyed oculus with moulded surround above, stressed lettering around the oculus reads: 'BRYNDU' above and the date 1901 below. Flanking the central bay are slightly advanced, one-window bays with stressed quoins at the angles; ground floor windows have segmental heads and moulded surrounds with stressed sill bands across the width of the bays. Each of the side elevations is pebble-dashed rendered with plain, rendered dressings, 4-bays, each bay articulated by square-headed ground floor, and round-headed first floor windows. To the rear of the chapel is a single-storey gabled block, housing the vestry, to which the single-storey schoolrooms are set at right angles to the rear; entrance in a lean-to porch in the angle at the left (NW) side. The vestry has a single window in the NW wall, a 12-pane horned sash; a smaller, similarly detailed window is in the NW wall of the porch, with the entrance through a square-headed doorway in the SW wall. The gable ends of the schoolrooms each have a pair of tall, round-headed sash windows; the gable apex with stepped, round-headed recessed panels set into the render. The rear (NE) wall of the schoolrooms has 4, tall, 12-pane sash windows. To the front of the chapel is a small enclosed forecourt; a high rubble wall to the SE side, the other 2 sides bordered by a low rendered wall topped by railings and with square, pyramidal capped piers at the angles. There is a double-gated entrance directly in front of the chapel doors and a single pedestrian gate in the NW side; the gates decorated by a repeated circular pattern along the lock stile.

Interior

The main entrance, in the SW gable, leads into a tiled vestibule with gallery stairs to each end and a pair of double doors, each with chamfered panels, leading to the main gallery beyond. The set fawr is at the NE; raised by one step and with opposing side entrances, the front is curved and has recessed panelling to the lower part with turned balusters above supporting a moulded rail. The pulpit is raised by 5 steps, has opposing side entrances and the front has an advanced central bay flanked by curving side bays; each of the upper facing panels with ornate floriate carving. The side entrances have moulded handrails on turned balusters, with turned newels surmounted by banded globe finials. The fittings are of pitch pine, the ground floor with 3 ranks of box pews; the side pews set at an angle. The walls are rendered, textured and ruled to imitate stone, the lower part with tongued and grooved panelling. Behind the pulpit is a plaster relief moulded arch, with stressed keystone, supported on fluted Corinthian pilasters; the capitals are linked by an acanthus leaf frieze below which there are 3 round-headed recesses, the space above decorated by an ornate design of radiating urns. The gallery is set on tapering, fluted cast iron columns; the recessed panelled front has plain panels interspersed with carved floriate panels, all set under a moulded rail. The gallery box pews are raked and follow the curve of the gallery. The wall heads terminate with a moulded plaster cornice supporting the coved ceiling which comprises a broad timber boarded perimeter band surrounding a decorated rectangular plaster ceiling. The rectangle is subdivided by 3 panels at each end, each with a moulded egg and dart border, and the large square central panel decorated by an elaborate plaster relief of 3 concentric circles, the outer subdivided to form 16 panels each with a rosette motif, the central one, undivided with 12 stellar motifs and the inner decorated with entwined foliage. The centre of the circle comprises a decorated timber ventilation grille matching in detail others at each corner and the centre of each long side of the timber border. Two doors flank the set fawr, the right hand for a cupboard, the left leads to the vestry. The vestry has tongued and grooved panelling to the lower part of the walls and has a small, ornate, cast iron fireplace against the far (NW) wall; a doorway to the right leads to the kitchen and a doorway to the left leads to the lean-to porch and schoolroom beyond. The schoolroom also has tongued and grooved panelling to the lower part of the walls and has a carved wooden fire surround along the SE wall; contains the original benches and teachers reading desk.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a well-detailed, early C20 chapel, employing a rich Neo-Renaissance vocabulary and retaining its original, highly enriched interior virturally intact. An ambitiously scaled building for a rural community. It is a prominent feature of the village.

External Links

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