Tabernacle Baptist Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on a hillside facing S over the derelict lead mine.

History

Baptist chapel of 1860, replacing chapel of 1842. Built to serve the workers at the Cwmsymlog lead mine. Disused.

Exterior

Chapel, rubble stone with slate roof ands paired brackets to the eaves. Long-wall facade of 2 large and long 18-pane sashes with flat heads each side of half-length 9-pane window over centre gabled porch. All windows have irregular stone quoins and stone voussoirs. Similar stone quoins at outer angles. Porch may be added, rendered, with slate roof and board double doors with cambered head and sandstone voussoirs. Windowless E end wall, rubble stone rear with two 18-pane sashes and W end wall slate hung with two 18-pane windows.

Interior

Interior without galleries, with pulpit between windows on W gable wall. Three blocks of painted grained numbered box pews, steeply raked to the rear in 6 steps, with ramped bench ends. Plain panel backs, moulded surrounds to door and front panels. Three inward-facing pews on rear wall opposite entry, and space in front has 2 open-back benches. Three inward facing pews also each side of set fawr, the back one on entry wall longer with high panelled back returned as screen to entrance door. Set fawr has late C19 seat facing pulpit, with turned balusters and newels with ball finials. Other 2 sides are benches on fronts of original box pews, but with newels added at one end for unity. Matching pulpit platform has balusters to serpentine curved sides and to short steps each side. Solid centre pulpit front with ornate scroll-carved panel under bookrest on carved brackets. Plain plaster ceiling with 3 roundels.

Reason for designation

Included as a well-preserved small chapel once typical of the lead-mining region of the county, with painted grained box pews surviving.