Edern Presbyterian Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the S side of the B4417, to the E of the crossroads some 450m SW of Pont Edern.

History

Calvinistic Methodist chapel of 1898.

Exterior

Chapel, unpainted stucco with slate roofs and red tile ridges. Broad chapel with big end facade of pedimented centrepiece and wings, hipped at right angles to main roof. Centre has keyed roundel in pediment, and 'Edeyrn M.C. 1898' in raised letters in frieze, broken for long keystone rising from apex of major arch that frames the facade openings. This arch is segmental and is inset in channelled-rusticated front. Within arch, a first floor triple-arched window with moulded pilasters, arches and keystones, the centre window broader than the side-lights. Sill course across. Ground floor similar mouldings to arched doorway and small window each side. Wings have paired windows each floor in full-height recess, with channelled pier at outer angle. Upper pair of windows are arched with similar mouldings, lower pair are flat-headed with cornice over. End walls of wings have similar recess with channelled angle pilasters. Arched window over flat-headed window. Wings are forward of chapel sides and 4-window with similar arched windows over flat-headed. All windows are small-paned with marginal glazing bars also, and most are sashes except arched windows of facade.

Attached vestry/schoolroom across rear with colourwashed stucco gable to street. Arched window each side of gabled porch.

Interior

Fine and elaborate interior, to seat over 800 people. Painted plaster walls lined as ashlar. Ornate ceiling divided into panels by moulded ribs, 3 large circles down centre with fine C18 style detail, and border of rectangles with inset decorated plaques. Pine pews in 3 main blocks, some seating inward-facing each side of the pulpit. Ornate pulpit and great seat area, the great seat with low balustrade to back and curved angles. Pulpit is richly detailed with canted front, moulded and carved arched panels, some arcaded balustrading each side and curving balustraded steps up. Behind pulpit is elaborate neo-Renaissance aedicule with paired pilasters, blind arch with shell fluting, and pediment over. Scroll volutes each side. Large gallery on 4x1x4 iron posts with ornate capitals. Timber panelled gallery front, curved at angles. Console brackets to lower cornice, fine painted graining to panelling to suggest different woods, long panels between square projected sections with inset patterned panels. The long panels on the sides also have a decorated central lozenge panel. Steeply raked gallery seats. Vestry and two meeting rooms to rear, vestry with 3-sided ceiling, enclosed porch with cornice and clock above, and walls painted like chapel in imitation of ashlar.

Reason for designation

Included as a late C19 chapel with an interior of exceptional elaboration.