Bethlehem Capel yr Annibynwyr

Cadw's description

Location

Towards the S part of the village of Gwaelod-y-garth, on the main thoroughfare, nearly opposite the school fronting a small walled courtyard bounded by brick piers with Radyr stone caps, iron gates and railings, incorporating VCR letterbox.

History

Independent Chapel built 1872. The older Salem Chapel is at the N end of the village; this is part of the later expansion of the village associated with the further development of ironworks, quarries and mining at Melingriffith on the banks of the Taff and in Garth Wood. Chapel and school opposite originally shared same premises, the Pentyrch Works Board School was built in 1881. R G Berry the Welsh-language dramatist came from Bangor to Bethlehem as minister in 1897 and his plays were performed by amateurs in the chapel vestry.

Exterior

Chapel. Built of stone clad in roughcast and pebbledash with cement-based render dressings - quoins, surrounds and platbands; Welsh slate roof. Gable-end frontage 3-bays wide has margin-glazed multipane round-headed sash windows to gallery, at centre a tripartite window - the centre light matching the ones at each end; similar square headed windows to ground floor either side of the central round-headed doorway with recessed panelled double-doors and fanlight with radial glazing; attached cast-iron lamp bracket. Side elevation has 4- window range of round headed fixed glazing incorporating opening panes to first floor, segmental arched to ground floor.

Interior

Interior has a 3-sided panelled raked gallery, the angles chamfered, with central clock and deep moulded soffit. It is supported by 8 slender plain cast-iron columns. Ceiling has coving and simple thin moulding to margins, 2 ventilators. Scored render. On pulpit wall is a classical moulded plaster round-headed arch with narrow imposts, prominent keystone, decorative spandrels and bands of moulding, unusually decorative; beneath is the dark-stained pulpit of unusual design with some dado panelling to rear. Some coloured glass in windows and in swing doors to vestibule. Single-storey Sunday School and vestry to rear.

Reason for designation

Listed as a mid-later C19 chapel retaining most of its original fabric externally and internally; group value with the school opposite.