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Latitude: 51.7374 / 51°44'14"N
Longitude: -3.8657 / 3°51'56"W
OS Eastings: 271271
OS Northings: 205951
OS Grid: SN712059
Mapcode National: GBR H0.1NCW
Mapcode Global: VH4JR.YL7F
Plus Code: 9C3RP4PM+XP
Entry Name: Saron Old Chapel
Listing Date: 29 March 2000
Last Amended: 13 March 2003
Grade: II
Source: Cadw
Source ID: 23081
Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Also known as: Saron Independent Chapel
ID on this website: 300023081
Location: Situated in Rhyd-y-fro on the E side of the A474 next to former manse and some 100m S of the new Saron chapel.
County: Neath Port Talbot
Town: Swansea
Community: Pontardawe
Community: Pontardawe
Locality: Rhyd-y-fro
Traditional County: Glamorgan
Tagged with: Chapel
Independent chapel of 1843, used as schoolroom after new chapel was built nearby in 1904. Chapel cost £320 and originally had no gallery. Gallery inserted later, at an unknown date, possibly the 1860s. A long-wall facade, with the interior aligned on the front wall, but there was never a second door on the front wall. Such asymmetrical chapels are an occasional feature of the period c 1830-50, e.g. Sardis, Cwmcanlais, Brecs (1835). The present front wall door was reopened in the C20, previously entry was from a door in the right end wall. There were outside steps on the left end wall to the gallery, since removed.
Chapel, whitewashed rubble stone with slate roof. Long wall front of 2 large arched windows with stone voussoirs and stone sills, single plain flat-headed door to left with stone voussoirs. C20 hardwood windows, framed boarded door. Plaque between windows 'Saron Capel yr Anymddibynwyr Adeiladwyd AD 1843'. Right end wall has blocked door.
Interior has been mostly stripped of fittings, but gallery survives. Three-sided gallery on 2 thick cast-iron columns with painted marbling. The gallery front in long panels with shorter panels in curved angles. Panelled ground floor dado, No internal access to gallery. Two blocked windows rear of gallery, former gallery door to left wall. Pulpit was on front wall between windows.
Included as an early surviving chapel in the region, one of a relatively small group of chapels with a single asymmetric door to a long-wall facade.
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.
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