Harcourt Terrace Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, including schoolroom and front railings

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently located on the E side of Harcourt Terrace, occupying wide plot, set behind iron railings.

History

Late C19, remodelled in early C20. Schoolroom added 1883, probably the date also of the railings. The first chapel was built in 1825 as an English Wesleyan chapel for English people arriving to work at the ironworks. Enlarged and improved in 1839. The chapel became head of the circuit in 1864, and acquired its first resident minister. No datestones give a clue to the later C19 rebuilding, but the Lombardic gable and the neo-Norman triplet would suggest a date of c1880. Central porch removed in early C20.

Exterior

Chapel constructed of coursed Pennant rubble; ashlar detail, slate roof. Three bay gabled front, the bays divided and terminated by thin pilaster strips. Lombardic corbelled gable. Central neo-Norman triplet, the shafts with scalloped capitals. Small roundel each side to outer bays lighting gallery stairs. Ground floor centre has row of five round-arched lancets, dating form early C20, when central entrance was replaced by present round-arched doors in outer bays. Doors have stone voussoirs and half-glazed doors with fanlights.

Schoolroom has three bay gabled facade of similar stone to chapel; ashlar detail. Slate roof. Round-arched windows to both storeys with ashlar heads and keystones. Marginal glazing. Roundel to gable with keyblocks. C20 door to ground floor left.

Cast iron railings, probably locally made, front both chapel and schoolroom, which are slightly set back from the street-frontage, with openings in front of entries to both buildings. Rails have decorative finials: strengthening posts have an entasis and urn finials.

Interior

Rectangular galleried interior has striking early C20 gallery front, deeply splayed at front end, richly decorated with plaster festooned with vines set on a background of shields linked at the top by branches, at the middle by a strap-like band. At the pulpit end, the gallery curves inwards and continues in a similar manner along the front of the choir gallery. Cast iron columns with bell-type caps. Art Noveau style communion table, rails and flanking seats with tall pierced backs. The balustraded pulpit is in a similar Romanesque manner to the facade, with carved capitals. Large semi-circular arch to rear of pulpit opens onto stairs for the choir gallery and organ chamber, set above vestries; organ brought from a chapel in Ferndale. To the rear are two stained glass windows dating from 1904 (possibly the date of remodelling). Half-glazed lobby partitions. Modern segmental ceiling.

Reason for designation

Listed primarily for the special interest of the interior decoration.