Century Methodist Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated 60m E of junction of Melbourne Road and Fidlas Road.

History

Wesleyan Methodist chapel built 1900-1 to a design by Edwin Seward of Cardiff. Separate iron schoolroom added later at side of chapel.

Exterior

Built of coursed rock-faced sandstone with richly applied Bath stone dressings. Slate roof with plain ridge tiles. T-plan with gallery stair towers in the short arms of the T; lower vestry added at rear. Two-storey gable-front in three bays, with wider central bay, divided by stepped pilasters ending in saddle-roofs and pinnacles. Single, central doorway with wide, ogee arched spandrel panels above. Small, high-level windows to ground floor; two-light windows with curved heads on either side of doorway and single, multi-paned rectangular windows to each side bay. At first floor a very large six-light window with Perpendicular tracery and segmental head with ogee moulding fronts gallery and takes up full width of centre bay. Mouldings to main mullions continue upwards to panelled apex feature incorporating dates '1900' and '1901'. Rectangular two-light window to each side bay light stairways to gallery. Side elevations are single storey punctuated by three, tall, two-light windows with cinquefoil plate tracery. Low vestry block at rear with yellow brick quoins instead of ashlar to walls and slate ridge roof.

Interior

Generally simple interior with very slightly raked wooden floor. Raised pulpit with steps to each side. Pointed arched recess behind pulpit. Flat, plaster ceiling with sloping sides. Three open timber roof trusses, now joined by six modern, steel tie-bars added to prevent potential bowing of side walls. Rear gallery with panelled wood front supported on iron columns. Organ in gallery is from Methodist chapel in Peterborough. Recent brick partition, with two doors and three windows, inserted under front of gallery to provide entrance vestibule; originally entrance doors led straight into chapel. Return stairs to gallery open directly off either end of vestibule.

Reason for designation

Included as a complete, compact Edwardian chapel in late Gothic style by the pre-eminent Cardiff architect of the period. (Probably Seward's only surviving chapel).