Bethlehem Baptist Chapel, including forecourt walls, gates & railings,

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at E end of street, opposite Mill Lane.

History

A good and little altered chapel interior of 1855, the exterior is similar to the Baptist Chapel, Solva 1863 by W Harris and J Richards, masons, for which the Newport firm of Joshua Morris & Son were carpenters. This chapel is said to have been built by Joshua Morris (d1889) who may also have built the Baptist chapel at Croesgoch, Llanrhian 1858.

Exterior

1855 Baptist Chapel in rubble stone with unpainted rendered front and imitation slate roof. Two-window sides and ends with big, pointed small-paned sashes. Intersecting glazing bars to window heads, stone voussoirs and slate sills. End walls have facades recessed under broad 4-centred arches springing from raised angle piers that continue up to castellated caps. Raised piers have bands at lien of side-wall eaves.

South entrance front is rendered with "Addoldy y Bedyddwyr" in raised letters, centre recessed lozenge plaque inscribed: "Bethlehem Built AD 1789 John Stephens Minister, Enlarged AD 1817 David Jones Minister, Rebuilt AD 1855 James Jenkins Minister". Pointed arched doorway with Y-tracery head and intersecting glazing bars, double single-panel doors. Open porch on thin painted timber columns with fretted bargeboards. Enclosed forecourt with squared rubble wall, slate coping and spearhead iron rails. Big painted stone gatepiers to S and matching SE corner pier with pyramid caps and acorn finials. Matching iron gates dated 1855 with upswept top rail.

E side has slate plinth, carried around N end, which has basement door to left and 4 windows, all with stone voussoirs. W side has late C19 roughcast 2-storey NW addition with chamfered NW angle. Square 12-pane sash to first floor W and N, 12-pane sash to ground floor N. Also SW lean-to carried forward as monopitch-roofed building to enclose W side of chapel forecourt. Rubble stone, slate roof, roughcast W side.

Interior

3-sided gallery on 5 x 3 marbled columns carrying flattened arches under panelled gallery front. Flat ceiling with centre rose in big moulded plaster circle with Greek key pattern. Two pierced roundel vents N and S and 4 small roses. Pulpit and organ 1953. Original grained pews. Entrance lateral passage with three 9-pane fixed lights into chapel, doors each side and plaster vault with moulded arches and brackets.

Reason for designation

Group value.