Capel Sittim

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Felingwmisaf, E of the river and the B4310 and on a minor road S to Felin Mynachdy.

History

Early gable-ended Baptist chapel built 1817, rebuilt 1845-8 and restored 1874. Vestry added and new pulpit with set fawr in 1886.

Exterior

Chapel, unpainted roughcast with slate roof. Plain gable front with arched window each side of Tudor-arched door. Windows have later C19 timber 2-light tracery, door is panelled with Y-tracery overlight. Plain raised surrounds. Side walls have 2 similar arched windows, rear outbuilding probably stable and vestry, with hipped roof, ground floor small window and door, first floor sash window (door to rear). Baptismal tank in grounds close to rear wall.

Interior

Pulpit on rear wall, early to mid C19 gallery on entrance wall on 3 plain timber columns, vertical panels alternately narrow and broader. Open back bench seats. Lobby beneath with small traceried window with coloured glass, entrance doors in canted sides. Fine set of painted grained box pews, panelled, with centre block, and inward-facing raked side blocks. Plain rose to flat ceiling.
Later C19 platform and set fawr, set fawr 3-sided with moulded top-rail and open back. Pulpit has square projecting front of 3-bays with thick Gothic column shafts and shaft rings. Each bay is open above and panelled below shaft ring with rectangular panel and roundel. One-bay sides. Similar squat turned column shafts to stair balustrades each side, thick moulded rail. Plain arched recess behind with door into vestry.

Reason for designation

Listed, despite its plain exterior, for its "transitional" plan form and for its simple interior retaining painted, grained box pews and a rare rear gallery with open-backed pews.