Capel Bethlehem

Cadw's description

Location

Located at right-angles to road with roughly square-shaped chapel yard on north-east bounded by low rubblestone wall to road with slate slab coping and spear-headed railings; hooped railings and iron gates to small chapel forecourt.

History

Early C19 Independent chapel remodelled in 1860, the date of the present building, with Sunday School to rear erected in 1892 on land donated for the purpose by the Penrhyn Estate. Edward Stephens (1822-1885), a noted writer of hymn tunes, was minister here from 1859 to 1885; he was also minister at Rachub and lived at Tan-y-marian, a house roughly equidistant between the 2 chapels built in c1860.

Exterior

Chapel in simple Italianate style gable end on to street with Sunday School/vestry to rear. Rendered rubblestone, slate-hung to left return of chapel; slate roofs. Pedimented gable end to street in 1:1:1 bays has central rusticated round-headed arch containing small 4-light round-arched window with moulded surround and keystone breaking entablature and cornice of outer bays; oval panel above window inscribed "BETHLEHEM/ Rebuilt/ 1860". Outer bays have plain pilasters to entablature flanking tall round-headed windows in 8 panes with moulded surrounds, keystones and slate cills; central doorcase with bracketed flat hood and ribbed double doors. 3 tall round-headed windows like those to front but without the surrounds to each return. Lower and set-back Sunday School has 2 tall segmental-headed windows to end wall, which has rendered brick integral stack with paired and rebated shafts and stepped capping; lean-to on left wall has boarded double doors, over which is a slate plaque (possibly reset) inscribed "SCHOOL-ROOM ERECTED/ BURIAL GROUND ENLARGED A.D. 1892,/ Lease granted/ by the Right HON/ GEORGE SHOLTO GORDON./ LORD PENRHYN."

Interior

Simple mid-C19 interior has plain flat ceiling (central rose gone) with timber boarding and ribbed sides with diagonal-shaped ventilators to corners; plaster cornice, plastered walls and slightly raking floor with numbered box pews. Very simple set fawr has round-headed pilastered arch flanked by internal windows (detailed like those on external long walls) to Sunday School, which is accessed by panelled doors to corners. Internal lobby at opposite end has glass panel to centre, above which is a clock dated 1856 by J Griffiths of Bethesda. Sunday School has boarded dado panelling and Victorian slate fireplace with bracketed mantleshelf.

Reason for designation

Included as an essentially unaltered mid-C19 chapel with simple interior of the period.