Nebo Independent Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

In a prominent position opposite Harris Street, set well back from the road behind a graveyard bounded by rubble walls with dressed piers and double iron gates.

History

Welsh Independent chapel of 1851, repaired in 1890. On the site of a building of 1823 that was rebuilt in 1830 and improved in 1836. Now the only Welsh-speaking chapel in Hirwaun, following the absorption of the neighbouring Bethel congregation in 1996.

Exterior

An Independent chapel in simple Victorian classical style, nearly square in plan with hipped pyramid slate roof. The 2-storey 3-bay painted stucco front has rusticated quoins, moulded eaves cornice and string course between floors and framing a central plaque. The first floor has a large arched window in the centre with small panes and marginal glazing bars, moulded surround and stone sill. Two smaller side windows are similar but have larger panes. The ground floor has 2 plain square-headed windows, also with marginal bars. Plain painted-grained double boarded doors have ornate hinges, beneath an overlight with marginal glazing bars. The doorway is the same width as centre window above. The side walls are rendered. The E wall has a 2-window range, with marginal glazing bars and the ground-floor windows with cambered heads. A former chapel house is attached at right angles in the centre. The W wall is a 3-window range.

Interior

The interior was much embellished probably in 1890, but possibly retains the iron columns of 1851. Fine quality woodwork and ceiling. The gallery is 3-sided with curved angles and long horizontal moulded wooden panels. A clock faces the pulpit. The simple iron columns are arranged 3x1x3 and the gallery front projects with moulded deep pitch-pine cornice. The ornate broad pulpit platform has 2 stairs with turned balusters and heavy turned newels with ball finials. Balusters are on each side of the projecting canted-sided pulpit. This is panelled with a pair of arches and column shafts to the front and has fine contrasted graining. Two doors, in arched recesses, lead from the platform to the vestry, with moulded arches on consoles above. A similar moulding in the centre, above these, is placed over 2 plaques to past ministers. A 3-sided set fawr has horizontal panels over vertical panels. Pitch-pine pews are in 3 blocks, with panel backs and shaped ends. The centre block pews are partitioned asymmetrically, the side blocks are angled with inward-facing pews flanking the pulpit. The gallery pews are raked. Side and rear walls have close-boarded wainscoting, with stick balusters against the gallery windows. The attractive ceiling has a plaster cornice and coved border to plaster and timber main part in 4 panels with broad diagonally-slatted margins. The 2 outer panels are flat plaster, the inner 2 have slatting in angles to make a rhomboid shape, each containing a large ornate plaster rose, with pierced-wood vent in the centre.

The entrance lobby has chessboard patterned tiling with ornate border that continues along the aisles. Single grain-painted doors to chapel are in angled walls. The wall has a fine rectangular window with diagonal glazing bars, and coloured and etched dividing and margin panes. Narrow stairs to the gallery have single wooden panelled doors after a 90 degree turn to the remaining steps.

Reason for designation

Listed for its architectural interest as one of the earliest surviving chapels in the region, retaining mid C19 external character with unaltered later C19 interior.