Glandwr Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the S side of Glandwr some 120m S of the crossroads in the village centre.

History

One of the early Independent foundations of the region, begun c1712. Chapel first built c1717, rebuilt in the mid C18, in 1774 and again in 1836. This chapel was said to have been taken down and rebuilt the fifth time in 1876 to designs by John Humphrey of Morriston, but it may be that the outer walls are of 1836. The work cost £934. The vestry has datestones 1826 enlarged 1847.

Exterior

Chapel, painted stucco with half-hipped slate roof. Two-storey, four-window long wall facade, with four arched first floor windows and sill band over two doors in rubble stone gabled porches with arched entries. Fretwork brackets under eaves, interrupted over each window. Windows have 'Florentine' 2-light tracery with roundels. Plaque to centre. Doors are 2-panel with glazed top panels. Porches have coped gables, flush buttresses each side, chamfered plinths and imposts. Attached pedimented slate memorial at left end of facade to W Lewis (d 1815), made by E Lloyd of Felindre in 1835, plaque to right end to Rev Lewis Thomas (d 1745), erected 1842.
Two-storey, two-window ends with arched windows, larger to ground floor. Stucco S end, the N end and similar 3-window rear are cement-washed rubble stone. One blocked square-headed window to rear first floor left. Brick heads to N end arched windows. Windows have centre mullion and marginal glazing bars.

Interior

Square interior with 3-sided gallery, on 5 iron columns with acanthus capitals. Gallery front is timber with painted graining to cove over columns, then cornice with valance of fretwork band of linked half-circles, under boarded front with continuous cast-iron band, the pattern of small lozenges between upper and lower bands of half circles, and similar fretwork band under top hand rail. Pews in three blocks all curved to concentric plan, boarded backs, roll-moulded tops and shaped bench ends. Similar raked pews in gallery, curved to follow gallery curves. Curved similar set fawr. Pulpit has steps up each side with twisted balusters, heavy chamfered newels and pyramid finials. Pulpit has arched front of 1-3-1 panels, the end panels curved. Ringed column shafts with arches open above fixed panel. Cornice with rope mould. Older plaques refixed on side walls: S wall with carved arms, to John Devonald of Graig (d 1757) and his son John (d 1769) with inscription 'Dear Devonalds here no more ye are fled. Tho gone from us we dare not deem you dead. Viator amor tuo disce vivere ut moriturus'. N wall to Lazarus Howel of Blaiddbwll (d 1776). Two internal porches with similar fretwork detail to gallery. Cornice with acanthus moulding and deep cove, ribbed panelled ceiling in 12 panels with 4 roundels.

Reason for designation

Included as a chapel of special historic interest in the region and for the good interior of 1876 by one of the leading Welsh chapel architects.