Siloa Baptist Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the A4059 some 40 m from the junction with Church Street, in graveyard behind low rubble wall with rails and double iron gates.

History

Welsh Baptist chapel of 1857, replacing a chapel of 1823.

Exterior

Baptist chapel of 1857 with a simple small 2-storey rendered gable facade. The slate roof has plain wooden soffits and bargeboards. Two first-floor arched windows are either side of a central date plaque. The ground floor has square-headed windows, a central arched doorway and recessed panelled double doors, reached by 3 stone steps on bricks. Windows have large panes with marginal panes. The 2-window side walls are rendered with windows on each floor similar to the front, but those on the S side are C20 plastic in original openings. The S wall has a small derelict lean-to attached, with a similar brick lean-to beyond.

Interior

The interior has an attractive painted and grained gallery of 1857, while other woodwork is later C19. A simple 3-sided raked gallery is on plain iron columns grouped 2x1x2. Long horizontal panels over marbled plain beam with gas lamp fittings are attached. The later C19 pulpit platform has twin stairs with turned balusters, and newels with finials. Similar balusters eare on ach side of the large projecting canted-sided pulpit. This is panelled with a heavily moulded top rail and an S-curved deep overhang to a small panelled base. The rear of the pulpit is close-boarded to the level of the gallery top, presumably later C19 as it partly covers a classical arched recess with simple capitals and moulded arch. The plain later C19 3-sided set fawr has a close-boarded back. Later C19 pews are in three blocks with close-boarded backs and shaped bench ends. The centre block is centrally divided; the side blocks are gently angled to the pulpit and are inward-facing beside the pulpit. Walls have wainscoting to above window sill level. The rear gallery pews have stick balusters against the first-floor windows to the height of the lower sash. The flat plaster ceiling has circular metal vent in centre with moulded surround.

The entrance lobby has a tiled floor. Single half-glazed doors, with ornate handles, in angled wall lead into the chapel. The lobby wall has a square window with marginal glazing bars.

Reason for designation

Listed as a simple mid-C19 chapel once characteristic for the region but now rare, retaining good internal fittings.