Rhos y Gad Chapel and schoolrooms.

Cadw's description

Location

In a conspicuous location on the NW side of Ffordd Penmynydd, close to the centre of the village.

History

A slate tablet dates the construction to 1873. Built on land forming part of Rhos y Gad common, enclosed in 1860.

Exterior

Calvinistic Methodist Chapel. Classical style, single storey, gable entry type. Pebble dashed walls, rendered dressings and a pitched slate roof. Entrance front is west gable; pedimented, with reeded angle pilasters terminating in ball finials on heavy squared bases with similar finial at gable apex. Entablature broken by a moulded arch over recessed centre-piece housing triple round headed windows, with moulded hoods and sill band. Two side entrances flank the recessed arch, each with segmental moulded pediments with plain tympanum supported on fluted pilasters. Inner round arched doorways supported on flat pilasters with squared capitals, with panelled double doors under panelled tympanum. Circular ventilation grille with moulded surround at apex of gable. A slate tablet below the central windows reads: ADEILADWYD / O. C. / 1873. N and S elevations have reeded pilasters at W angles, plain stressed quoins to E; 5 pairs of slightly recessed, round headed 4 pane sash windows with moulded hoods.

At the E end of the chapel are the vestry and schoolrooms, an L-shaped range extending to the N, built of stone, pebble dashed rendered with a slate roof. Doors are square headed and panelled with slightly recessed 9 and 12 pane sash windows.

Interior

Plan incorporates curved-ended chapel room set within overall rectangular form, with lobbies in the resultant angles at the West end; rounded inner wall with 3 round headed windows of coloured glass echoing the arrangement in W gable and 2 square headed doorways lead to lobbies beyond. Plastered walls with tongue and groove panelling to lower half. Coved ceiling of deeply recessed plaster panels divided by moulded partitions, central 3 panels each with ornate metal ventilation grilles with moulded surrounds. Raking pews arranged in U shape, respecting curved W wall and with central bank seperated by a staggered divider. Pews are of pitch pine, doored and faced with tongued and grooved panelling. Set fawr is raised by 2 steps, rectangular, with tongued and grooved panelling to lower half, and balustraded with turned balusters and newel posts surmounted by banded globe finials. Pulpit is raised by 3 steps, of 3 bays, central projecting bay with 3 horizontal panels with recessed cusped design to upper panel. Each outer corner has a spiralled colonnette topped by large scrolled acanthus leaf. Top rail is decorated with dentilled frieze. Side bays are balustraded, as for set fawr. Scroll armed bench with beaded vertical struts, each strut topped by acorn finials, with larger globe finials either end.

Memorial: brass plaque with marble surround, to men of the parish who lost their lives in 1914-18 World War.

Miscellaneous: Set fawr also contains 2 chairs with vertical beaded struts, as for pulpit bench and fixed solid back benches and flat topped double door cupboard on which stands plain sloping bible box.

Vestry and school rooms have plastered walls, some with tongued and grooved panelling to lower half, some with picture and dado rails. 2 rooms contain original decorative fire surrounds, vestry still with decorative cast iron fire. Schoolrooms have original benches. Doors original, panelled and half glazed.

Reason for designation

Included an a good example of a small urban C19 chapel, ambitiously designed for its scale, with a well-articulated, though simple Classical exterior and a fine interior, little altered.