Ainon Capel y Bedyddwyr/ Ainon Welsh Baptist Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the main Rhondda thoroughfare N of the main town of Treorchy just beyond the river separating the locality of Ynyswen

History

Built 1899 by Roderick of Blaencwm. Earlier schoolroom to rear dated 1893.

Exterior

Simple gable end facade of snecked rockfaced stone with ashlar dressings, rendered to sides; part Welsh part artificial slate roof. Frontage of 3 bays with lightly defined pediment enclosing a small margin glazed gable light with heavy moulded surround; beneath is an inscription panel 'Ainon Capel y Bedyddwyr AD 1899. At gallery level are to sides round headed margin glazed windows and in centre a triple window, all with surrounds incorporating capitals, keystones and plinths. On ground floor a central square headed doorway with entablature, piers with deep plinths, and voussoirs over a round arched door surround with circular motifs in overlight and double plank doors. On each side are square headed margin glazed horned sashes with decorative tooling to channelled voussoirs and surrounds; tooling also to staggered channelled quoins and plinth. Inscription plaques at entablature level record information on donors , pastor and 'sculptor and builder of Treorchy' Jonathan Jones. Four bay side frontage with round headed windows with horned sashes in a moulded render surround at gallery level, square headed margin glazed horned sashes at ground floor. Lean to wing to rear extends left to form separate entrance with inscription stone 'Ysgoldy 1893'. Shallow front courtyard with rockfaced stone and ashlar boundary wall with piers with pyramidal capstones, iron railings and decorative gates.

Interior

Raked galleries on 3 sides supported by fluted cast iron columns with foliage capitals, fronts with shallow boarded panels edged by deep mouldings; boarded ceiling in panels with 3 plaster roses; some coloured glass in glazing margins, boarded dados and 4 panelled doors; scribed walls; pulpit with flanking steps and doorways used in baptism service, and round arched plaster reredos.

Reason for designation

Listed as an almost unaltered example of the more modest type of late C19 non-conformist chapels, often daughter churches, retaining some good detailing and recording the name of the local architect and builder.