High Street Baptist Church

Cadw's description

Location

Built backing into the hillside on a high platform with stone retaining wall and iron railings on a site overlooking Cwmsychan.

History

A small English Baptist chapel built in 1827 and later extended at the rear; refurbished 1868 by Mr Hardick of Warminster.

Exterior

Small rectangular gable fronted chapel with large extensions spreading out behind and on either side. Rendered and painted, probably over brick, and with a Welsh slate roof. In a Classical/Italianate style. The street front has three bays with the central entrance bay set slightly forward, cill band to the first floor and quoin pilasters with fluted paterae panels. Panelled doors with rectangular light over set in a pedimented frame. This is flanked by arch headed windows with raised architraves with keystones and impost blocks. The first floor has a larger version of this window in the centre, this is divided into three panes by a transom with mullion below. A large paterae feature decorates the plain wall on either side. Cornice, which goes into a block above the central bay. Pedimented gable end with plaster decoration in the gable and wave pattern bargeboards.

The side elevations have three windows on each floor framed as before and finished with three panes.

Hipped roof extensions to rear.

Interior

The interior was refitted in 1868 and seems to have been largely unaltered since. Raked gallery on four sides supported on slim cast iron columns with floriate capitals; serpentine iron front and mahogany rail. All the seating is complete with pews below and benches in the gallery. Large organ in the arch to the extension behind the 'set fawr', which has a decorative iron and mahogany rail before it, and a glazed screen behind. The walls are plain, with few monuments, the only one of interest being to the dead of the Llanerch Colliery explosion of 1890. Three kingpost roof trusses. The interiors of the rear extension with Sunday School and Minister's rooms etc. are functional.

Reason for designation

Included as a good example of a chapel of 1827 with an unaltered interior from later in the C19, probably 1868.