Elim Pentecostal Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a terrace in Knight Street, some 30 m uphill from its junction with the A4059.

History

Formerly Noddfa Welsh Baptist Chapel, built in 1905, but a Pentecostal church since the mid C20.

Exterior

Chapel of 1905, bowed gable front between straight flanks from which project ground floor square bays and first floor shallow gabled bays. Coursed rock-faced grey rubble stone with grey ashlar dressings. Moulded copings to main gables and bays, slate roof. Centre is shallow bowed to full height with 2 ashlar bands in gable, big first floor ashlar Palladian-type triple window and ground floor broad entrance flanked by narrow lights (in same proportion as windows above) set in classical square columns and pilaster responds. Entablature over is carried around projecting square ground floor bays and these have ashlar parapet and moulded coping, which is continuous from centre bay first floor sill course. Big middle window has almost square main window of 6 panes and C20 glazing to big side lights, moulded cornice over and big fanlight with moulded arch. Ashlar facings rise to an overall hoodmould the mouldings of which are continued as base mould and coping of the first floor gabled side bays. Sides have ground floor square bays that enclose the small flagged forecourt with iron rails across. Bays have flush ashlar bands below sills, at sill level and at window head level under cornice, square-headed windows, and ashlar flush quoins. Cornice and parapet to flat roofs in front of the shallow-projecting first floor bays. These have flush quoins, band above heads of plain pair of windows and ashlar shallow shouldered gable, the outer slope corresponding to main gable slope. Main gable slope is also shouldered on moulded kneelers. Older name, Noddfa, incised above ground floor cornice. C20 glazed screen to entrance with double doors. Side walls are rough rubble with brick arches to openings. First floor windows are large. Centre 2-light with radiating-bar fanlights. Side windows C20 square-paned. Ground floor windows similar to side windows above but not as wide. Rear wall has two horizontal windows above gallery to side of organ projection.

Interior

Wide interior with high ornate ceiling and exceptional continuous oval gallery. Curving gallery front with long horizontal moulded wooden panels, moulded top and bottom cornices, all projected well forward of a deep plain base supported on only 2x2 plain iron columns. Panelled soffits under gallery front, and triangular slatted panels to undersides between oval and corners of building. Ground floor has been partly cleared, great seat and front pews removed. Pulpit is panelled with fine grained wood. Twin curving stairs with square moulded wooden panels and Classical newels. Projecting panelled pulpit front is semi-circular with short straight section each side, these with narrow vertical panel and panelled outer pier. Drum projection is carried by three fluted wooden columns and has deep cornice under 2-panel front. Moulded top rail. Rear of platform is 3-sided with upholstered bench seat. Rear wall has plain wainscot with single 4-panel doors to vestry either side. Large baptism bath with coloured tiles in floor to one side, surrounded by ornate iron railings. Organ loft above gallery closed off by simple late C20 partition of painted hardboard. Remaining pews in three blocks with close-boarded backs and shaped ends. Outer pews canted towards pulpit. Steeply raked gallery pews curve to match gallery shape. Stick banisters across gallery windows at front. Complex ceiling is basically a large rectangle decorated with numerous applied broken panels framing two circular vents in ornate plaster roses. Pattern of ceiling is of spandrel panels around roses, rectangular panels each side of the squares thus formed, and L- and T-shaped panels linking the rectangles. These last have small ornate roses for lights. Moulded border all around, over deep coved cornice, and deep cornice at wall-head. Entrance lobby has marble-chip floor with large boarded doors at each end leading to smaller lobby: each has single panelled door to chapel to side, opposite staircase to gallery, with toilet door facing. Staircases turn through 180 degrees to single panel doors at top.

Reason for designation

Included at II*as an unusually well-planned Edwardian chapel, with exceptional oval gallery, and good plasterwork to ceiling.