Tabernacle Congregational Chapel, including forecourt gates and wall, and attached vestries.

Cadw's description

Location

About 400m NE of centre of Pontardawe

History

Chapel of 1880, enlarged 1904. Architect William George of Ystalyfera, builder John Griffiths of Pontardawe.

Exterior

Chapel in rock-faced brown stone in low courses; freestone dressings (brick dressings to sides), slate roof. Gabled Gothic front with end buttresses and pinnacles. Quatrefoil in gable; central doorway with windowq above of 2 lights with quatrefoil; tall 2-light round-headed window to each side (hardwood glazing). Forecourt enclosed by low stone wall with cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lys finials; iron gatepiers with semi-circular overthrow with similar finials; cast-iron gates in matching style. Sides of chapel have windows at 2 levels, round-arched over camber-headed. To rear, at right angles, vestry/hall blockwith flat-roofed kitchen block behind.,

Interior

Very fine unaltered interior. Lobby with flanking stairs to gallery; stained glass on chapel side is good War Memorial window (1949). Flat boarded and ribbed ceiling to body of chapel with 3 elaborate roses, decorative vents to sides, and classicising cornice. Fine gallery on iron columns runs round all 4 sides, dropping behind pulpit and in front of organ; wooden gallery frontal with arcading and bracketing; clock opposite pulpit. To rear, organ by Brinley and Foster with exposed pipes in decorative case; all original wooden seating at gallery level, and also to body of chapel. Octagonal pulpit flanked by stairs with iron balustrading. Behind body of chapel, Deacon's room and Vestry/Schoolroom block with unaltered stage, glass screen to kitchen, open roof with iron ties.

Reason for designation

Late C19 and early C20 chapel with particularly fine unaltered interior.