Capel Gosen

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on N side of road some 300m NW of Llangadog church, set in iron-railed forecourt.

History

Calvinistic Methodist chapel of 1840-1 remodelled in 1906-7 by J Howard Morgan, of the firm of George Morgan & Son of Carmarthen. The remodelling cost about £1,000. Iron forecourt railings by Walter Lewis of Llangadog.

Exterior

Chapel, pebbledash and stucco, unpainted, with slate roof and bracket eaves. Two-storey, 4-window side to road, the former entrance front of original long wall entry plan. Detail of 1906-7 in Edwardian free style, drawing on classical sources. Stucco plinth, deep band under eaves, broad quoin pilasters and vertically-linked window surrounds, pebbledash between. Windows have thin pilasters to sides, but taller upper windows have pilasters stopped at upper string course through which the window heads break. Windows are leaded, 2-light, with top-lights (top-lights altered in C20 but original to rear). Upper windows have a type of small corbelling under sills. Linking panels between floors are plain with raised strip sides, similar panels above upper windows.
Gabled entrance front to E with quoin pilasters, open pedimental gable with paired brackets and also small dentil course. Big first floor half-round feature, containing 3 long leaded windows divided by plain mullions, and channelled rustication each side. Moulded arch and sill band. Windows are 2-light with shouldered arched heads each under 4 narrow top-lights. Ground floor is pebbledashed with ornate central unpainted stucco doorcase, projecting with quadrant curved sides. Double doors in arched doorway with traceried-and-leaded big fanlight, the glazing echoing glazing of main window above. Keystone under shouldered segmental curved pediment.

Interior

Interior entirely of 1906-7, typical of J H Morgan's work. Complex 5-bay roof, the centre part only open to collar level with three posts and angle struts each side of centre post and to outer sides of outer posts. Plaster panels and heavy longitudinal beams framing flat plaster panels along each side. Three-sided gallery, the front projected out on brackets from 3 x 3 square timber fluted posts and the underside panelled. Cornice with brackets under front with vertical panels under dwarf balustrade. Fluted pilasters over each supporting post. Curved angles. Raked gallery pews. Main pews in three blocks with 2 aisles, outer blocks canted. End lobby has 5-light Gothic timber traceried window with coloured glass leaded lights. Two lobby doors with coloured glass panels. Plain 'set fawr' with low back. Pulpit has steps up each side behind seats and panelled cupboard under projecting front. This has open 3-bay arcade with twisted columns and segmental-arched shouldered heads. Moulded cornice over and outer pilasters. Ornate pulpit back, a panelled recess with radiating-bar panelling to head, set back in surround pilastered to impost level with arch braces above to frame head of recess. Deep cornice above with roundels and triglyphs in frieze and steep pediment.

Reason for designation

Included as a good example of an early C20 chapel with architecturally unusual gable front. Interior with woodwork of high quality.