Zion Baptist Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Near the centre of Pontir on the NW side of Station Road.

History

Baptist church of 1836, cause founded 1803. Chapel and schoolroom of two storeys parallel in same style. The schoolroom was added in 1870 to plans by the minister, Rev. J Williams, the upper floor being known as the lecture room and the lower room the vestry. Major repairs after dry-rot in 1979 included removal of pews, pulpit and organ and rebuilding of rear chapel wall. The front gallery retains original pews. There were 2 cottages attached to rear of schoolroom also removed. The schoolroom had two chimneys probably removed in the c1979 renovation.

Exterior

Baptist church and schoolroom, painted stucco with two parallel hipped slate roofs, paired brackets to flat eaves and continuous front with four arched windows and two arched doors. Chapel to left has broader front and broader openings, long windows with Gothic intersecting glazing bars in heads and 24 panes below, and central panelled double doors with matching glazing bars to arched fanlight. The schoolroom also has 2 windows and centre door, to matching detail but narrower. Stone sills. Chapel side wall has 3 arched windows with later C19 or earlier C20 similar glazing but with centre mullion. This wall was formerly slate hung. Schoolroom side wall has four 12-pane sashes to each floor.

Interior

Altered interior with red brick rear wall with large plastered arched recess behind late C20 brick pulpit (baptistery under stepped floor). C20 flat ceiling. Original gallery survives, on 4 thin cast-iron columns with painted panelled front. No pews in body of church. Monuments on wall include one to two ministers, Rev John Davies (d 1816) and Rev James Michael (d 1858), Anne Jenkins (d 1831) and her sister Mary, John Butler (d 1808) and John Jenkins (d 1809) and his wife Ann (d 1827). Also memorial to dead of First World War. Gallery retains painted-grained raked high-back benches with boarded backs. Gallery stairs from lobby changed from right side to left.
The schoolroom is on two floors with stairs up in right corner. Boarded ceiling upstairs.

Reason for designation

Included as attractive late Georgian chapel and schoolroom with unusual broad double facade and original window detail and gallery within.