Ebenezer Congregational Chapel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on N side of A484 Carmarthen road some 120m E of Water Street.

History

Dated 1808, 1844, 1880; structure probably of 1844 enlarged southwards with new facade in 1880 to accommodate larger gallery. The earlier part is a plain unpainted rendered 3-window range with hipped slate roof and bracketed eaves. Two-storey elevations to sides, cambered-headed lower windows and round-headed above, 2 round-arched upper windows to end wall.
The 1880 extension towards the road involved changing the roof hip to a curve, building out the front wall with a new, narrower, stone and terracotta pedimented facade, connected back to the original side walls by big stuccoed quadrant curved walls with stone parapets.

Exterior

Centrepiece is of coursed square rock-faced grey stone with extensive dressings in yellow terracotta. Romanesque style, ground floor is slightly projected with big arched doorway with keystone and panelled double doors, narrow round-arched sidelights and impost band. Upper facade is set back on terracotta sloping plinth and with similar motif of big round arched centre window and narrow sidelights, only with longer proportions and window with heavy wooden plate tracery of 3-lights and a big rose. Window arch is inscribed 'Congregational Chapel'. Above is pedimental gable with apex finial, heavily moulded coping and tympanun plaque: 'Ebenezer Built 1808, Rebuilt 18444 Enlarged 1880'. Quadrant curved walls are plain stucco with one very long arched stair light each side, arched hood and raised bands at sill and impost levels. Stone parapet with terracotta plinth and coping.

Enclosed shallow forecourt with iron railings on low coped wall between square piers. Inner piers are rendered and whitewashed, corniced with ball finials, outer piers are coursed stone.

Interior

Spacious interior largely of 1880, but retaining earlier side windows. Big curve-ended gallery on 7 thin iron columns with florid capitals, coved gallery underside and timber gallery front with inset continuous pierced iron section under handrail. Decorative star and leaf-scroll motifs to ironwork. Curved gallery pews and unusual barrel heads to tops of gallery stairs. Coved ceiling with dentilled cornice and 3 large roses. Elaborate High Victorian Gothic pulpit with stilted arched frontal and balustrades to stairs up each side. Rear wall covered by very large 1925 organ, blocking rear windows.

Reason for designation

Included for interior, which may be designed by 'Thomas Glandwr', the Rev Thomas Thomas of Landore, among whose works was a chapel in Newcastle Emlyn.