Montgomery Presbyterian Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated near the centre of Montgomery, on the E side of Princes Street, just S of its junction with Arthur Street.

History

Calvinistic Methodist chapel of 1885 by Richard Owens of Liverpool. It is said to have been built for £1,100, but looks more costly. A good example of the winged chapel front developed by Owens in the 1870s, the first possibly at Salem, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, 1874. Also typical of Owens is the stylistic mix, Gothic, Romanesque, Italianate elements. Foundation stone laid by David Davies MP 10 April 1885.

Exterior

Chapel, pale greenish tooled squared stone with sandstone ashlar yellow-brown dressings possibly Grinshill stone. Slate roofs with 2 metal ventilators and red crested ridge tiles to main roof and the slates banded on the steep hipped roofs of the wings which also have iron finials. Imposing front of 3 bays, the centre advanced, shallow-gabled and clasped by 2 stepped buttresses with finials. The outer bays with hipped roofs at right angles do not project beyond side walls and have 2-step side buttresses like those down side walls. Heavy tooled plinth, centre stone steps up to ashlar moulded arched doorway with hoodmould continued out to buttresses. Panelled double doors in chamfered frame with stone traceried fanlight. Gothic octofoil in fanlight. Moulded course under first floor pair of ashlar arched lights with pilaster centre, the moulded base and capital repeated on outer jambs and the capital moulding continued around buttresses. Florentine tracery in stone, 2 arched lights with roundel. Ashlar paired arches with hoodmoulds. Coped pedimental gable with moulded verges and thin lower string broken for a roundel with ashlar quatrefoil tracery. Buttresses have raised panelled block each side of pediment, under square piers with ashlar cornices under tiny curved pediments backing onto sharp pyramid finials. Wings have single long Florentine window each with hoodmould and carved stops. Bracketted sills over foundation stones. Ashlar eaves cornice, the top moulding only continued around return bay. Side walls are rubble stone, 4 bays of 2 arched lights with 5x2-step buttresses, the return bay to facade only with ashlar moulded eaves, the rest plain eaves.

Interior

Interior not available for inspection.

Reason for designation

Included as an imposing chapel by one of the leading Welsh chapel architects, with fine quality stonework.