Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Elim United Reformed Church and attached Schoolroom
Cwmbran Central, Torfaen, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Religious, Ritual and Funerary
- Date of designation
- 23 October 1998
- Locality
- Cwmbran
- Town
- Cwmbran
- Community
- Cwmbran Central
- Unitary authority
- Torfaen
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.64802, -3.02520
- Cadw reference
- 20740
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
In a walled and gated burial ground, on the S side of Commercial Street in the centre of Cwmbran.
History
Independent Chapel erected in 1844. Elim split from nearby Penywaun in 1843. Schoolroom erected in 1872.
Exterior
Rendered externally, slate roof. S gable-front has well-proportioned stucco facade. External render incised with lines in simulation of ashlar. Monumental flat-headed neo-Grec doorcase; moulded architrave has projecting roundels and big hood-mould supported on elaborate consoles; panelled double-doors. Flanking entrance are tall round-arched windows with moulded architraves and aprons. Upper gable carries a stone tablet inscribed:
ELIM
INDEPENDENT CHAPEL
1844
Tablet has moulded architrave; base forms part of continuous string course at eaves level. Corners of gable-front emphasised by raised render at angles, in simulation of quoins. Single-storey Schoolroom is attached to right of main chapel. Render incised, as before; slate roof. Off-centre gabled porch has round-arched entrance doorway with plain overlight and 4-panel door. Tablet in gable dated 1872. Front wall of school has three 12-pane sash windows with segmental arched heads.
Interior
Double doors into narrow panelled vestibule: round-arched leaded-light window in facing wall; gallery stair to right and 6-panel door to chapel, left. Medium-sized, single cell chapel with gallery across entrance-side only, and painted woodwork. Raked gallery, supported by slender cast-iron columns, has open backed benches and front of rectangular wooden panels; the inner faces of the middle panels curved around centre clock. Attached to panelling at back of the chapel are a pair of close boarded pews with shaped ends. Leaded-light windows with patterned glass, some modern secondary glazing. The 'set fawr', pulpit, and rear pulpit wall are modern, in contrast to the front end which is a relatively unaltered interior for the period.
Reason for designation
Chapel with imposing front and unusual Greek Revival doorcase which, despite interior changes, still retains a strong historic character.
Nearby in the register
- Court Road Industrial Estate SignTransportunder 1 mi
- Aqueduct over Dowlais Brook on Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (partly in the Llantarnam community)Transportunder 1 mi
- Aqueduct over Dowlais Brook on Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, partly in Cwmbran Central CommunityNo class recordedunder 1 mi
- Lime kiln on S side of Garth RoadIndustrialunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.