Capel Ebeneser and chapel house (formerly Capel Cildwrn)

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the brow of a hill at the W end of Llangefni, set at right angles to the N side of Ffordd Cildwrn with graveyard to front; c.600m W of the church of St. Cyngar.

History

Built in 1781, heightened and internally remodelled in 1846-9. Formerly the principal Baptist chapel on Anglesey, from 1781 to 1826 the minister was the renowned preacher, Christmas Evans. The chapel was redundant for some years after the Baptists transferred to Peniel chapel in the town centre; renovated and re-opened for services in the 1980s.

Exterior

Lateral entry, 2-storey chapel with shorter 2-storey chapel house at left (S) end. Built of local rubble masonry, mostly rendered elevations; slate roof with gable stack to S. The principal elevation faces E; openings with rendered, eared architraves. The chapel has 12-pane, hornless sash windows; 3 windows lighting the gallery, 2 windows below (to either side of the pulpit) and ground floor doorways to either end. The chapel house has 4-pane sash windows, a single window range with blocked doorway to right (N) end. The right (N) gable wall of the chapel, being exposed rubble, shows the line of the original roof pitch and a blocked attic opening over a 12-pane sash window. The rear of the chapel has two 16-pane sash windows to the gallery and a modern, 16-pane fixed light to the left (N) of the ground floor; right (S) end with modern porch, modern single storey wing to rear of chapel house. There is now a slate plaque on the S wall of the chapel house, which reads: CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF / YNYS MON / TY CILDWRN, CARTREF / CHRISTMAS EVANS / 1766 - 1838 / ESGOB BEDDWYR MON / 1791 - 1826. To the front of the chapel is a small yard which leads on to the rectangular churchyard with rubble walls and gate piers. The yard contains a polished granite obelisk to J R Davies, a former minister, and some slate monuments, including one to Catherine Evans, wife of Christmas Evans, d.1823.

Interior

The entrances (set to either side of the pulpit) lead into small, timber boarded vestibule enclosures each with gallery stairs; boarded doors open onto each staircase and to the main chapel beyond. The chapel interior is almost square in plan with well-preserved fittings. Three ranks of box pews to the ground floor; central rank wider with central divider. Gallery, splayed across the corners, with raking pews and panelled front; the gallery is set on non-structural, broadly chamfered, slightly tapering timber piers. In the centre of the gallery front, directly opposite the pulpit, is a clock (by H Roberts of Llangefni), the mechanism now housed within one of the piers (formerly in casing inset in the rear wall). The high pulpit is raised by 6 steps, stairs with turned newel post, stick balusters and clasping rail; rising to a door at the right (S) side. The pulpit has a panelled front with curved, fluted angles, and is set on shaped marble piers; the seat has an unusually high panelled back (which formerly contained a plaque to the memory of Christmas Evans' ministry, this was removed and reset on the front of Peniel chapel in the town centre).

Reason for designation

Listed II* as an unusually well-preserved example of a C18 chapel and chapel house, retaining much of the character of its early origins, notwithstanding some C19 modifications. Capel Ebeneser is a rare and important survival of its type, few of which remain on Anglesey. The chapel is of particular historic interest due to its association with the life of Christmas Evans, renowned preacher and minister.