Y Tabernacl/Tabernacle Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently situated at eastern end of Goat Street, close to Cross Square.

History

1874-7 Calvinistic Methodist Chapel built for £3,678/19/4d to design of Richard Owen of Liverpool, built by J Stephens of Saint David's. Pillars by Bright & Gerrard of Carmarthen, windows by Rowland & Co of Liverpool, railings by Lang & Co of Bristol and finia,ls by Smith & Son of Birmingham according to an 1877 subscription list.

Exterior

Lofty Gothic gabled building in squared brown rubble stone with extensive grey ashlar dressings and ornate S gable front to the street raised on basement storey.

Front has tall central gable with flanking buttresses, that to right carried up to an octagonal stone spirelet and outer stair towers projecting sideways capped by steep 5-sided slate roofs, with red tile cresting. Centre between buttresses has projected ground floor with sloping ashlar roof and gable over moulded ashlar segmental-pointed doorway with dripmould and double ledged doors. Small paired lancets each side with paired hoodmould. Ashlar plinth and broad double flight of steps with ornate iron railings up to door. Principal window above has Bath stone tracery of three cusped lancets under three hexafoils. Grey ashlar frame, hoodmould and flush band each side. Above, a flush band stepped up to sill of small triple lancet vent with linked hoodmoulds. Coped gable and finial.

Stair towers have high rubble plinths, ashlar band above, then two superimposed 2-light pointed windows with Bath stone plate tracery and grey ashlar surrounds and hoods. Upper window breaks moulded eaves cornice under coped gable with finial. Stair tower outer ends are buttressed at lower level, then angles are chamfered back with narrow long lancet over buttresses and blank small loop on chamfered angles. Moulded stone eaves cornice.

Side elevations are plainer, buttressed, four-window with three storeys - a basement Sunday school and two levels to chapel. Chapel windows with painted timber Y-tracery to pointed upper lights and segmental-pointed lower lights. Steep roof banded in purple and blue slates with red tile cresting. Four gabled vents on each slope. Big rear gable with large pointed apex light, similar windows to side elevations at main levels, but flanking a triple lancet central window.

Front to street has iron railings to double flight of steps, continued each side with matching double gates between heavy ashlar piers gabled on each face.

Interior

Not inspected.