Capel Rehoboth

Cadw's description

Location

Located in the centre of Nant Peris on the north side of the A 4086 with the former school immediately to the west and a row of C19 terraced houses directly opposite; small forecourt in front with low rubblestone walls, iron railings and gates.

History

Calvinistic Methodist chapel founded in 1833, rebuilt in 1876.

Exterior

Chapel. Simplified Classical style. Rectangular plan in 4 bays. Rock-faced snecked rubblestone blocks with tooled ashlar dressings; slate roof. Gabled entrance front in 3 bays with alternating quoins, string course, moulded cornice and upper string course to coped pediment; round-headed window openings above string course in plain pilastered surrounds with keystones to left and right of central round-headed Venetian window with polished shafts supporting Corinthian capitals, all containing sash windows with margin lights and coloured glass roundels. Ground floor has square-headed sash windows in plain surrounds with margin lights to either side of central 3-bay shallow porch with slate capping and round-headed openings, the outer for recessed 6-panel doors with fanlights, the centre for a fixed-light window with margin lights and coloured glass. Semi-circular slate-stone above cornice with scrolled surround reads "REHOBOTH/ ADEILADWYD 1833/ AILADEILADWYD 1876"; small louvred round-headed opening directly above upper string course and stone finial with wrought-iron cross to gable. Rendered return walls have 4 sashes to each floor following the patterns of those to the front but without the surrounds. Lean-to attached to rear gable (Sunday School) has three 12-paned sashes to back wall. [Former manse attached to rear right corner of chapel].

Interior

Imposing galleried interior has flat ribbed plaster ceiling with moulded cornice, floral and other motifs, boarded panels with decorative fret-work to the borders and a large plaster rose to the centre with richly decorated pendant lantern. Box pews to ground floor and impressive set fawr with turned balusters to panelled enclosure housing reading desk, chairs and inlaid pulpit. Blind Venetian plaster arch behind with fluted Corinthian pilasters and painted key-block. Panelled gallery with raked seating supported on 5 cast-iron columns; Victorian clock facing set fawr; moulded surrounds with console brackets to sash windows. Entrance lobby has opposing round-headed arches with consoles to foot of staircases with turned newels and stick balusters leading to gallery; 6-panel doors to chapel itself flank central rose window with coloured glass, below which is a marble First World War memorial. C19 benches in Sunday School.

Reason for designation

Included as a largely unaltered C19 Methodist chapel, ambitious in scale and form for a small community, and with an exceptionally good interior.