Prion Chapel and Ty Capel including Forecourt Walls and Gates

Location

Located in the centre of Prion, set back from the lane behind a walled and metalled forecourt on a slight rise, the chapel at right-angles to the road.

History

Non-conformist chapel, erected in 1792 and altered and extended in the mid C19. It incorporates an upper school-room at the road-facing end, and has a C19 manse attached at right-angles E.

Exterior

Large rectangular chapel with incorporated school-room and adjoining manse set back at right-angles to the E. Of rubble construction, currently pebble-dashed, the main chapel openings with stucco quoins; slate roofs, that to the chapel half-hipped to the road gable, with plain C20 bargeboards. The chapel section of the main, E-facing facade is symmetrical and has 2 pairs of tall windows to the centre with flanking entrances, all with round-arched heads. The windows have 12-pane recessed, fixed panes with marginal glazing and projecting stone sills; the entrances have recessed boarded doors with segmental 2-pane fanlights, also marginally glazed. Central arched dedication plaque with biblical inscription in Welsh and the date 1792.

To the R is an external flight of concreted steps, ascending from L to R with plain iron rail. This gives access to the first-floor school-room via a tall boarded door with 3-pane cambered overlight. Large 16-pane sash window with projecting sill and cambered head to the R, with broad boarded door to the ground floor below. Three recessed 12-pane sashes to the first floor gable end with heads and sills as before; small, squat brick end chimney. The rear has a segmentally-arched entrance with boarded door to the L and a plain rectangular modern window to its L. Two uPVC windows (replacing 12-pane sashes).

The 2-storey manse adjoins to the R; construction as before with plain near-centre chimney. C20 part-glazed door to the centre with modern wooden flanking windows, 9-pane to the L and 12-pane to the R, the latter formerly with cambered head. Original 12-pane casement windows to the first floor, breaking the eaves and contained within gabled dormers with simply-moulded bargeboards and boarded soffits. Outshut to the rear with modern windows. A modern garage block is extruded between the chapel and manse at the corner.

The rubble-walled, part-metalled forecourt has simple iron gates via 4 concrete steps; arched iron lamp stand over.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a second-quarter C19 rural chapel, with associated manse, retaining good original character.

Group value with other listed items Prion.