Penmount Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

At SE edge of the town, formerly on the foreshore. Nos 4 to 7 detached to right and Sunday school building forward to left. Forecourt with good Victorian iron railings and Gothic panelled gates with twist lamp posts (lamps removed).

History

First Penmount Chapel was built in 1780. Rebuilt in 1802/3. Vestry built in 1861 and the Festri Fawr or Sunday School building was built in 1870 by John Jones of Pwllheli. The Chapel was then remodelled in 1881 by Owen Morris Roberts and William Jones, of Porthmadog; cost £2,500. Organ chamber built 1911/12 by J T Jones following a grant from Andrew Carnegie.

Exterior

Fine 2-storey classical chapel with 4-bay scribed render front. Hipped slate roof with ventilators; moulded eaves cornice, rusticated quoins, impost and cill bands etc. Gallery windows are round arched headed with hood moulds and keystones; coloured glass fanlights over small pane sash windows with marginal glazing bars. Similar windows below in pedimented architraves. Flush frame portico to centre with 2 ‘in antis’ Ionic columns with entasis, cornice, entablature and end pilasters; 3 round arched headed doorways with keystones and capitals, 12-panel double doors. 4-window side elevations and at the Send, originally semi-octagonal, there is a projecting organ chamber.

Forward to left at the front is the small vestry and passage to Sunday School building at right angles, both have tall hipped slate roofs and scribed render elevations. 3-pointed windows to the smaller range. The Sunday school range had 5-window side facing the chapel front with segmental headed small pane sash windows; 4-bay front with round arched headed end entrances flanking central windows similar to those on the chapel front. Square belfry with pyramidal roof and ironwork finial. Broad gable end to E with 4-windows contained under an overall band. Attached low toilet block to N side with original Victorian (of Barrhead) fittings.

Interior

Classical galleried interior with fluted and gilded columns with Corinthian capitals; panelled gallery front with advanced aedicules. The ceiling has coved cornice and herringbone boarded band with roses; triangular panels project into central ceiling area which has vast octofoil roses. Ionic fluted pilasters carry segmental arch of organ chamber opening. Balustraded steps up to platform and panelled boundary to ‘set canu’. Brass wall brackets to lamps.

Reason for designation

Group value.