23080

 

II*  

Designated  

29/03/2000  

01/03/2004  

Godre'r Rhos Independent Chapel and vestry  

 

Neath Port Talbot  

Crynant  

Neath  

Rhos Common  

279119  

206543  

 

Situated some 1km to the N of Crynant set back on the E side of the minor road to Ystradgynlais.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Independent chapel in isolated site approached across a stream. Built in 1855-6, replacing one of 1754 founded by the Rev Henry Thomas, notable Independent minister. H Williams, contractor, is named on the date plaque, the chapel cost £416/9/8d. The chapel is near square in plan, a relatively unusual form, used occasionally between c1825 and 1860. The lean-to at the back is said to incorporate walling from the 1754 building. Henry Thomas was initially associated with the Calvinistic Methodist cause, and was given a house in which to preach by his father-in-law, Jenkin David of Crynant: Howel Harris was a frequent visitor. By c 1752, Thomas had abandoned the Methodists, after briefly siding with Harris after the latter's split with Daniel Rowland in 1750, and was ordained as an Independent minister.  

Chapel, facade in unusually heavy squared rock-faced rubble stone of a pink to brown colour. Rendered sides. Hipped roof with flat overhanging eaves, silvery slates. Near square plan, 11m by 9.1m, with tall facade on longer wall of 2 long arched centre windows, 2 shorter outer arched gallery lights and 2 flat-headed 4-panel doors. Window heads all at same level, Gothick intersecting bars in window heads, gallery lights have 16 panes below heads, main lights 40 panes. Coloured glass in top panes of all 4 windows. Stone voussoirs to arches, date plaque between: `Godre Rhos Build 1754 Independent Chapel Rebuild in the year 1855 by H. Williams Contractor'. Doors have 2 long panels and 2 upper square panels, stone voussoirs to heads. End walls have 2 16-pane sashes each floor. Rubble stone rear lean-to vestry, said to incorporate part of C18 chapel, plain, with straight joint to main chapel.  

Fine interior with painted grained woodwork of a stippled pale yellow relieved with cornices and top-rails of red-brown. Five-sided gallery on 4 iron columns, the gallery front in single long panels with bracketed cornice below and moulded top rail. Brackets are paired. Pews follow line of gallery, a 5-sided centre block including the set fawr and pulpit, with passage around, and outer pews under galleries raked up to rear and side walls. Plain panelled backs and doors to box pews, rounded top rails. The centre block has 2 rows behind 3-sided set fawr, matching pews. Later C19 pair of pine entrance lobbies and pulpit is probably of similar date. Curving stairs with balusters continued along serpentine curve of platform each side of solid pulpit front with arched panel, bulbous angle columns and top cornice under bookrest. Stair newels are chamfered with incised decoration and octagonal finials. Boarded dado to pulpit wall. Plain ceiling with centre plaster rose of 7 fronds in double ring. Stone steps up to galleries which have plain painted grained open-back benches. Vestry in lean-to has lobby at one end and small later C19 pulpit at other.  

Graded II* as a well-preserved chapel of 1856 with lateral facade, but near square in plan. Fine original interior. Historical associations with the C18 minister, Henry Thomas.