Argoed Baptist Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a raised graveyard at the lower part of the High Street.

History

The present chapel was erected in 1817 at a cost of £300 on land donated by a Mr. Yorath. In 1851 it was substantially renovated, the entrance moved to the end wall, the gallery and new box pews added, for £400. The baptism font at this time was outside. One further phase of building work occurred in 1890, when the vestry and a new pulpit were added. Prior to building the chapel, the group worshipped in houses, and John Jenkins, the minister from Hengoed Baptist church and a prominent theological scholar, conducted the first baptism. In the first three decades the minister was Rev. Thomas Jenkins whose sermons were so passionate that on one occasion people from 16 churches came to hear him speak. By 1851 the congregation had swollen to 260 members.

Exterior

Small rural chapel with narrow coursed rubble stone walls with pecked sandstone dressings and a gabled slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and a central, tin, ornamental ventilator. Two-storey, two-window range of flat headed windows on lateral facade with central name plaque and evidence that two entrances have been blocked in. C20 timber windows with flat sandstone lintels over and stone sills. Old photographs show small-paned sashes. Left end wall has double, boarded doors, fanlight with intersecting tracery, and stone voussoirs. Segmental-arched 16-pane sash window over. Two tall arched windows on opposite end wall with cut stone arches and late C19 or C20 glazing. Added vestry to rear left has four paned windows flanking a newer entrance porch.

Interior

Simple but elegant interior of 1851. 3-sided gallery open to end wall, with clock and curved corners, on 5 simple iron columns cast by M&RJ (?M. and R. John) of Merthyr. Painted gallery front has exceptionally long panels over moulded cornice. Box pews on ground floor, slightly raked towards back, and raked open-back gallery pews, all painted-grained. Later pulpit platform with straight steps to sides, turned newels and balusters, with new wrought iron front replacing balusters. Panelled timber pulpit front with centre lozenge panel. Coved plaster ceiling has central plaster rose flanked by ornamental round pierced cast-iron ventilators. Raised plaster arch behind pulpit with plaque to Rev. Thomas Davies. Tiled foyer has intersecting tracery to window, matching main door fanlight. Vestry has plain boarded folding doors and wainscotting.

Reason for designation

An early small rural chapel with an elegant and complete mid C19 interior, together with historical connections with well-known nonconformist preachers.