Capel Jerusalem with former domestic accommodation to rear

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the eastern end of Pentre-castell on the north side of the A 4086 immediately south of Dolbadarn Castle; a low rendered wall with iron gates forms a small forecourt to the street.

History

Founded in 1832 as an Independent Chapel, the chapel was rebuilt at a cost of £972 in 1881, though possibly incorporating elements of the original building.

Exterior

Chapel. Simplified Classical style. Rectangular plan in 3 bays with lower domestic accommodation in back-to-back form (originally in 3 units) attached to rear gable end. Rendered rubblestone with C20 pebbledash and plastered quoins to front gable end; slate roofs. Entrance front has 10-paned sashes with margin lights in round-headed pilastered surrounds with key-blocks to left and right of central shallow hip-roofed porch with 3 rectangular windows to the front and a 6-panel door to the right return; late C20 datestone below the windows reads "JERUSALEM/ CAPEL ANNIBYNWYR/ 1832". Above the porch are paired round-headed openings with 12-paned sashes but otherwise detailed as the 10-paned sashes including the margin lights; decorative wrought-iron cross to gable. Side walls have 10-paned sashes as on front elevation but without the surrounds. North-east elevation of domestic part has 4-paned sash on each floor of left unit and former doorway (now a window) to left on ground floor, the ground-floor openings both with drips. Right unit has 4-paned sash to first floor and integral end stack to right; C20 lean-to to ground floor. South-west elevation has 4-paned sashes on each floor to either side of recessed roughly central boarded door, lower right with drip; integral end stack in roof slope to left.

Interior

Simple interior has flat plaster ceiling with central rose and medallions. Set fawr has turned balusters to enclosure containing pulpit and reading desk; above is a blind round-headed plaster arch with fluted Corinthian pilasters, floral decoration to the tympanum and an impost band of medallions; lettering "Duw Cariad Yw" to centre panel; slightly raking box pews to body of chapel; console brackets and moulded architraves to sash windows. Encaustic tile floor to internal lobby behind entrance. Domestic accommodation/vestry to rear comprises 2 adjoining cottages (now all used as vestry) on north-east side with another cottage (now used as a builder's store) occupying the full length of the domestic part of the building on the south-west side.

Reason for designation

Included as a largely unaltered C19 Independent Chapel with attached domestic accommodation to rear, displaying an unusual (for this rural location) back-to-back plan-form.