Bethel Calvinistic Methodist Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in a prominent position facing down the main street of the village of Cynwyl Elfed.

History

Calvinistic Methodist chapel of 1857, remodelled 1881. It replaced a chapel of 1792, renewed in 1829, founded from Blaenycoed. The stucco, the doors, windows and interior appear to date from 1881.

Exterior

Chapel, painted stucco with slate half-hipped roof and overhanging eaves. Long-wall facade with raised plinth and rusticated quoins. Arched openings in raised plain surrounds with shoulders and keystones. Two long centre windows, two shorter outer gallery lights and two doors between centre and outer windows. Plaque in centre: 'Bethel Calvinistic Methodist Chapel Built 1792 Renewed 1829 Rebuilt 1857 Remodelled 1881'. Windows have 'Florentine' tracery of 2 arched lights and a roundel, doors have 6 long panels and plain fanlight. Unpainted rendered windowless end walls. Lean-to on left end wall. Rear wall has 2 sash windows each floor, 6-pane with narrower outer panes, the upper lights set further out than those below.

Interior

Interior of 1881 with 3-sided gallery on 4 cast-iron columns with leaf-scroll capitals. Gallery front is in pitch-pine with long panels of pierced cast-iron work, probably made at the Priory Foundry, Carmarthen, to a complex lacy pattern. Carved brackets under moulded cornice below, arch-panelled pilasters between the long panels, with console brackets breaking into notch-moulded top rail. Pitch-pine numbered pews in 3 blocks with shaped bench ends and vertically boarded backs. Similar gallery pews curved to line of gallery front. Matching set fawr with curved ends, the moulded top rail with incised roundel decoration. Ornate pitch-pine platform with projecting pulpit: 3 front panels to pulpit, 2 side panels and 2 platform front panels all carved in relief fretwork, moulded posts at angles. Contrasted colour notched and moulded top rail and broad bottom rail. Pair of turned ball-finial newels flanking panel door each side at top of dog-leg steps with rail on inner side only, turned balusters, steeply upswept handrail rail and matching bottom newel. A small enclosed pew faces pulpit each side, enclosing outside of stairs. Painted grained matchboarding behind pulpit and each side out to box lobbies with double doors and frosted glass above. Plaster feature between windows above pulpit with pilasters, capitals and arch, all with rosette ornament. Ceiling has plaster cornice, deep coved sides and timber boarded main part with diagonal ribs forming lozenge centrepiece radially-boarded from centre acanthus rose with enrichments.

Reason for designation

Included as a handsome mid C19 chapel prominently placed at the head of the village street, with good interior of 1881.