Capel Horeb Assembly rooms

Cadw's description

Location

Located to the left, and in the grounds of, Capel Horeb, set back slightly from the E side of the A4080 near the centre of Brysiencyn.

History

The Methodist cause began preaching in the area in 1765, first housed in Tai Cochion, S of Brynsiencyn. By 1785 plans were made to build a more central chapel in Brynsiencyn and the first was built at Minfordd, or Hen Gapel. By 1806 the chapel had grown and a new chapel built at Mount Pleasant. In 1841 the chapel 'had gone from strength to strength' and this, the third of the chapels was built at a cost of £400. This served as the Methodist Chapel for the area until Capel Horeb was built in 1883, a ceiling was then put in to create a second storey and the building converted for use as a school house and assembly rooms.

Exterior

Two storey, 4 window range, rendered walls and modern slate roof with rendered stacks to right end. Main entrance elevation with 2 doors, 2 windows between. Windows are slightly recessed sashes, assymmetrically arranged, those to left bay hornless16-pane to upper storey, 24-pane to lower storey; elsewhere windows are 24-pane sashes to upper storey, 16-panes to lower storey. In the left hand gable return are two wide doors leading to former chapel stables.

Interior

Door to right leads into schoolroom with original benches and small ornamental cast iron fire surround. Kitchen to left with cupboards and dumb waiter serving assembly rooms above. Door to left leads to staircase up to assembly rooms which still retains the ornamental floriate metal ventilation grilles from when the building was used as the chapel.

Reason for designation

Listed as part of a group with Capel Horeb, and of interest as representing the earlier chapel on the site, later adapted as a school house: a good example of a typical sequence of development.