Forecourt, Railings, Piers and Gates

Cadw's description

Location

Situated set back in centre of mixed terraced row midway up Meyrick Street.

Exterior

1846-8 Wesleyan Chapel, now Zion Free Church, probably by John Road; front parapet and pediment were raised or altered 1857, extended to rear 1866-7 by K W Ladd, renovated 1882, 1911 and 1986. Large-scale classical chapel with painted stucco two-storey facade and slate roof. Five-window front, 1-3-1, the centre broken forward under raised pediment dated 1848, the wings with plain parapets. High ground floor with four plain piers, band over and four upper pilasters (formerly with Ionic capitals) carrying deep entablature with coved cornice. Windows are arched, 30-pane with intersecting tracery heads, and ground-floor centre has three large arched doorways with triple folding panelled doors and iron radiating tracery to fanlights. 3-storey 5-window side elevation.

Old photographs show the ground floor channelled with radiating voussoirs to openings, upper centre windows with moulded architraves and slightly richer detail to main entablature and blocking course over, which had 'Wesley Chapel' in raised letters.

Front iron railings on low coped stone wall with cast-iron piers were installed and forecourt in 1857. Five Grecian-style railings to areas flanking doorways.

Interior

Fine and unified interior despite the alterations which included extension with W gallery and organ in 1867; the entrance lobby and pews 1882 when the organ was rebuilt; and unspecified works in 1911. Flat plaster ceiling with Greek coved cornice and two large bordered roses flanked by 12 smaller roses. Four-sided gallery on 7x4 painted Roman Doric columns, on pedestals above pew level. Handsome grained wood pulpit, unusually high, raised on 8 painted wood columns and reached by curving timber stairs each side, turned balusters, echoed on curved rail in front or pulpit. Figured veneer panels to pulpit front. Grained wood case to organ. Schoolrooms beneath with iron columns.

Reason for designation

Listed II* for exceptional interior, said to be largest chapel in Dyfed.