Carmel Independent Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on main road some 100m W of St Winifred parish church, behind low stone wall with stone piers, iron railings and double gates between posts.

History

Independent chapel of 1880-1. Branch of Bethania, Mountain Ash, the cause said to have begun in a multi-denominational house in Rheola Street. Chapel completed 22nd July 1881, at the cost of £1,183/17/2d (£1,183.86p), and officially opened 22nd August. Rear vestry added 1895. The organ, by Norman & Beard of London and Norwich, was installed in 1910 (one by the same maker was provided at Bryn Seion, Cwmbach, the year before). In 1996 subsidence due to mine workings resulted in the rebuilding of the facade. Each facing stone was numbered and replaced as before, with blockwork behind under plaster. N side windows replaced in plastic then, but main windows kept in original style.

Exterior

Independent chapel of 1880. Two-storey, 3-bay, pedimental facade of coursed rock-faced Pennant stone with rock-faced stone dressings. C20 imitation slates and painted wooden bargeboards. Moulded stone cornice under pediment with date plaque above and upper roundel vent with keystones. First floor main windows are arched with keystones and stone sills, the centre window a Palladian composition with corniced narrow side lights. Small-paned glazing with marginal glazing bars. Moulded stone band between floors. Ground floor windows similar to arched windows above. All facade windows have protective clear plastic sheets attached to frames. Large arched centre doorway with keystone, panelled double doors and big radiating bar fanlight. Side walls have 5 windows to each floor: that to north has uPVC windows; that to south has original timber windows similar to facade, except ground-floor are square-headed. Stone band and cornice continue along side walls but unpainted. Vestry addition at rear.

Interior

Broad interior with four-sided gallery, very large pipe organ and excellent woodwork. Gallery has canted angles, on 4x1x4 marble-painted columns. Gallery front projects on deep bracketed cornice. Long horizontal moulded panels with shorter panels in canted angles and moulded top rail. Clock facing pulpit. Fine large pulpit has two stairways with half-landings, ornate turned balusters and ball-finial newels. Pulpit platform is stepped outward with balustraded rails to rectangular pulpit front. This is 2-panel with deeply moulded arches on columns, and dentilled top rail. Cove below to recessed base which has stop-chamfered vertical panels and deep skirting. Plain close-boarding behind pulpit up to gallery, with single half-glazed doors either side, leading to vestry and pump room, respectively. Grand organ, by Norman & Beard of London and Norwich, extends the width of gallery having highly decorative painted pipes in 3 main pipe-fronts with 2 narrower between. Gothic panelling below. Three-sided great seat with canted angles and diagonally-boarded panels in square stop-chamfered surrounds. Pews in 3 blocks with close-boarded backs, centre block has partition down the middle. Raked gallery pews. Coved cornice to plaster ceiling subdivided by painted wooden mouldings. Border, inner border with 9 square pierced vent panels, and plain main panel within. Entrance lobby has C20 tiles with single panelled doors to chapel. Staircases to gallery have half-landings with single doors at the turn.

Reason for designation

Listed notwithstanding the rebuilt facade, for the exceptional 4-sided gallery, painted organ, carved pulpit and other fine fittings.