Bethel Independent Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated towards N end of Talybont, adjoining and to N of Tabernacle Chapel, both behind matching iron railings.

History

Independent Chapel of 1830 remodelled in 1885. The original chapel was built in 1804-5.

Exterior

Colourwashed stucco with slate eaves roof and red ridge tiles. Large lateral facade in Gothic style with High Victorian punched detail to timber window tracery. Two long pointed windows, outer porches, and upper gallery lights above, matching heads of main windows. Bracketted eaves of alternate large and small brackets. Windows have hoodmoulds with foliate stops, the two centre hoods are conjoined. All four windows have punched sexfoil heads, main windows have long pointed 2-lights below and chamfered sills. Gallery lights have heads only. Gabled porches have matching detail: pointed doors with similar hoodmoulds, punched sexfoil overlights. Ledged doors with strap hinges. Cusped bargeboards, terracotta finials. Plain pointed windows in side walls. Two-storey, two-window end walls with 3-light flat-headed windows, Gothic timber tracery. Rear has big centre gabled projection with octofoil and roundels to main window and sexfoils to smaller flanking windows. Sashes to ground floor.

Interior

Outstanding interior of 1885, displaying high quality pitch-pine detail. Roughly square interior with gallery on all four sides, but above pulpit a triple arcade screens raked pews and large organ in added rear projection. Enclosed schoolroom below. Main part has plaster ceiling in 6 long panels, each with 3 sexfoiled roundels. Gallery is on 5 plain columns, rich panelled front with much carved detail: below long panels are rows of quatrefoil roundels and between are pilasters with fretwork tracery and sinuous capitals. Further rows of simple cut ornament above and below. Pine pews in 3 blocks, outer blocks curved. Great seat, 3-sided with curved angles and panelling to back below sexfoil-pierced rail. Exceptionally ornate pulpit with shafted arcading to base and frontal, 3-bay pointed on base, 2-bay round arched on frontal. Panels have attractive incised decoration and sides have fretted pilasters. Similar 1-bay sides. The flanking steps have balustrades that appear to be carved from a single plank, with intersecting open arcading. Enclosed angle steps to gallery. Organ gallery has 3 big ringed iron columns with arches. Organ by Rushworth & Dreaper of Liverpool obscures centre rear window. Raking pews in organ gallery. Vestry under organ gallery has rear fireplace.

Reason for designation

An interior of strong character with high quality moulded and carved work in pitch pine.