Saron Baptist Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Letterston on the S side of the B4331 some 600m W of its junction with the A40.

History

Baptist chapel of 1869, one of a group of similar chapels in North Pembrokeshire distinguished by such features as open pedimental gables and slightly Gothic tracery to the arched windows. Several have timber columns to the galleries raised above pew level. Others are Llangloffan Baptist Chapel, Pencaer C, 1862, Penuel Baptist Chapel, Cilgerran, 1862, Mount Pleasant Baptist Chapel, Solva, 1863, Glanrhyd Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Nevern C, 1870, Bethabara Baptist Chapel, Pontyglasier, Crymych C, 1873. Interior is similar to Llangloffan, Solva and Bethlehem Baptist Chapel Newport 1855. At Solva, Joshua Morris & Son of Newport were the carpenters, and Morris was architect at Newport.

Exterior

Chapel, rock-faced brown rubble stone with slate roof. Gable front with paired brackets under overhanging verges, and short return of flat eaves each side to form large but minimal open pediment. Blank roundel in gable. Centre door with paired small arched lights over and large long arched lights each side, all with brick arches and slight arch rings. Outer windows have timber Y-tracery, small panes and cusping in descending dove form in apex. Fanlight over double doors matches, with coloured glass. Narrow centre lights have very small panes, coloured glass. Three small inset slate plaques: 1828, Saron Baptist Chapel and 1869. Rendered side walls with 2 similar long arched windows. Rear has two C20 round windows with coloured glass.

Interior

Galleried on 3 sides with finely grained gallery front on painted timber bulbous columns, the bases raised above pew height. Gallery front has heavy moulded cornice under long framed panels, separated by short panels, including short panel in curved angles. Moulded top rail. Pews in 3 blocks, painted grained, with panelled backs, roll-moulded top rails and low doors. Three-sided set fawr panelled like pews. Platform has stairs up each side with stick balusters, painted grained 3-bay projected front with turned columns (matching stair newels) and simple Gothic paired cusped-headed panels. Moulded plaster arch behind. Lobby has door each side of window with coloured glass margins. Raked gallery pews, stick balusters across windows. Dentil cornice, 3-sided ribbed ceiling with big centre rectangle, the corners cut to form elongated octagon, with boarded inner band with 8 lozenge shaped vents, lozenge centre with 4 similar vents.

Reason for designation

Included for its architectual interest as a small mid-Victorian chapel with good interior woodwork, including timber columns to gallery.