Park Congregational Chapel, including enclosure railings

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on corner of Murray Street and Inkerman Street.

Exterior

1864-5 Congregational Chapel by Lander and Bedells of London in blue lias rubble stone with Bath stone dressings and steep slate roof. Gothic style with north porch tower and spire rising to 104 ft. Seven-window sides with close-spaced buttresses and south end chancel added circa 1909-11.

Entrance front has thin centre tower with diagonal buttresses up to second stage, big gabled ashlar doorway with shafting, carved capitals and moulded and cusped arch. Gable reaches up to base of triplet of tall lancets with ringed shafts, leaf capitals and linked hoodmoulds, then slightly recessed upper stage with octofoil roundel on each face and upper angles cut back to base of octagonal spire. Octagonal angle pinnacles. Short ashlar octagonal base of spire has roundels each face and moulded leaf cornice under octagonal spire. Main church gable is coped with square corner finials, 3-light pointed windows each side over lean-to projections with canted outer angles and triplet of pointed stepped stair lights.

Side elevations have 2-light basement mullion windows, 2-light pointed main windows with bands at sills and arch springing. To rear is later chancel with tall blank south gable, gabled projection to east with plate traceried 2-light window.

Set of circa 1895 spearhead railings with cast-iron Gothic gatepiers by Thomas and Clement of Llanelli, extending from front down Inkerman Street to rear access to schools.

Interior

Five-sided boarded low 7-bay roof, west gallery on 2 iron columns. Two west side stained glass windows of 1884 and 1909, 3 on east side on 1919, 1934 and 1974. Chancel has organ at south end and much early C20 Gothic panelling.