Capel Libanus

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the E side of Brynsiencyn, c150m S of the junction with the A4080.

History

Congregational chapel dated 1907 by raised lettering under the name 'Libanus' on the front wall of the chapel above the main entrance.

Exterior

A small Congregational chapel in the Arts and Crafts style. Rendered, pebble-dashed walls, those to the entrance porch slightly battered with continuous tile dripcourses. Recessed openings with rendered, painted dressings. Slate roof with clay ridge tiles, projecting feathered eaves and verges with plain barge boards, once with finials (now removed). Entrance gable is symmetrically planned; entrance through a central porch with segmentally headed opening. Flanking the entrance are round-headed recesses with 12-pane lower lights under 24-pane leaded top hung casements. Above the porch is a segmentally headed recess with 3x 6-pane fixed lights, above which is the name 'Libanus' and date 'AD 1907' under a tile dripcourse in the gable apex. Side elevations are articulated by 4 mullioned and transomed windows, reflecting the internal subdivision of the chapel into 4 constructional bays. Each window has 4 x 3 leaded panes above the transoms and 4 x 3 panes with glazing bars beneath.

Interior

Entrance through half glazed double doors leads to a rectangular panelled lobby with half glazed side entrance doors. Chapel of 4 roof bays with coved plaster ceiling of deeply recessed panels with moulded dividers, set in from the side walls on scrolled corbels and with panelled soffits, also with moulded dividers. From the ceiling are suspended glass lamp bowls of contemporay date. Walls are plastered, painted, with tongued and grooved boarded panelling to lower half. Fittings are consistently detailed in a Renaissance style: Set fawr opposite the entrance is rectangular and raised by one step; pine-panelled with a moulded rail. Similarly detailed pulpit is canted with side entrances raised by further 2 steps; panelled with fluted piers to angles and moulded cornice. The boarded panelling behind the pulpit is flanked by panelled doors, over which is a strongly moulded modillion cornice, segmentally-arched between the doorways and panelled in the recess below: the segmental arch mirroring the arch of the ceiling. Pews are of pitch pine with central double block and two single blocks separated by side aisles.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good example of a small early C20 rural chapel with bold and competent architectural styling with a strong Arts and Crafts character; the interior has a finely detailed consistency which retains many original features including a fine moulded plaster ceiling and Renaissance style panelling.