Horeb Baptist Church

Cadw's description

Location

Located in a terrace of cottages next to Gelligaer graveyard, a very small front courtyard being formed by iron railings and gate.

History

Welsh Baptist chapel of 1848, vestry added in the late C19 and further extended since. The chapel was founded as a sister chapel to that at Hengoed by the scholar and poet, John Jenkins. It was built on the site of a blacksmith's workshop. The religious census of 1851 noted that the chapel was not big enough for the congregation of 270.

Exterior

Chapel in a row of terraced cottages with vestry behind. Lateral facade unusually with central entrance. Thin coursed local rubble stone with clay plain tiles to roof and two stone end chimneys. A central entrance porch is outwardly C20 with 'spar' dashed render. Two very tall arched windows flank this, dressed stone voussoirs, imposts and keystone. C20 timber windows. To right of facade is a wide boarded basement door with a cambered head and stone voussoirs. Gable ends above neighbouring cottages are rendered, one small window towards the front on the right hand end.

Interior

Compact interior of 1848, with pulpit on the rear wall. Later broad panelled and glazed screen behind with door to vestry, an arched ribbon above this with painted text. There was an organ in position of vestry screen. Rest of interior has painted and grained joinery, the pulpit and gallery being grained and the pews, painted. Later C19 pulpit and great seat with ball-finial newels, the great seat panelled, the pulpit balustraded with single flight of steps, to left.

Original box pews in three ranks all facing the rear wall, panelled with rounded top rail. Three-sided gallery with curved corners on four plain iron columns, reached by a single corner stair. Gallery is particularly deep at the rear and steeply raked with panelled benches. The gallery front is very simple, deep cornice under has two long rectangular panels between a square one and a simple open stick-baluster rail above. The sloping ceiling is later with plastered panels.

Reason for designation

Listed as a small mid C19 chapel of regional character with an unusual long-wall plan form incorporating a central doorway.