Hope Chapel, attached house and vestry

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the N side of the A481 approximately 4.5km NE of Builth Wells towards Hundred House.

History

Calvinistic Methodist chapel of 1861 with house and vestry attached.

Exterior

Chapel vestry and house, rubble stone with slate eaves roofs, slightly lower house to left, and lower single storey vestry or schoolroom to right.
Chapel has lateral front of 2 large arched windows with cut stone voussoirs, stone sills, plaque beween 'Hope Chapel Erected 1861', and one door, to left, in later C19 painted timber gabled porch. The two long windows have vertical glazing bars intersecting in heads, probably later C19, with diamond leaded panes. One cambered-headed 3-light window to rear centre, with stone voussoirs and square leaded panes.
Added vestry to right has two large square windows and door to right, the window heads and glazing C20.
House to left has slightly lower pitch to roof. Rock-faced stone left end stack, two-window range of 3 small 12-pane sashes and door. Stone voussoirs to ground floor windows. One window on end wall and one to ground floor rear.

Interior

Simple interior without gallery. Three-bay roof with plain wishbone trusses and boarding. Pine pews in 2 blocks of 5 rows, simple shaped bench ends. Pews face end wall pulpit, with some inward-facing pews to side. Panelled pew backs, and boarded dado. Small platform with front balustrade, centre bookrest on pillar with moulded base and three-sided front with quatrefoils. Bench against wall with panelled back. Added top board with triple curve outline.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a well-preserved chapel showing the mid C19 transition in Wales from the traditional long-wall facade on its exterior, to the orientation on the gable end, as reflected in the interior layout with end pulpit. Chapel, house and vestry form an attractive group.