18943

 

II*  

Designated  

30/09/1997  

30/09/1997  

Capel Soar and attached house  

 

Ceredigion  

Llanddewi Brefi  

 

Soar-y-Mynydd  

278469  

253283  

 

Situated in extreme isolation on W bank of the Camddwr some 13 km from Tregaron, reached via the Abergwesyn road to Nant-y-maen and then the road S towards Llyn Brianne reservoir.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Calvinistic Methodist Chapel of 1828, altered in later C19. Said to have been used as the school also until 1947.  

Whitewashed rubble stone with single slate roof to chapel and house. Single storey lateral-fronted chapel to right, two-storey house to left with two stone ridge stacks. Chapel has simple facade of two arched long windows in centre and flat-headed outer doors, all with stone voussoirs. Windows have late C19 Y-tracery and stone sills. Doors are double 2-panel. Rear wall has two long windows with cambered heads and marginal glazing bars. Stone sills. Rendered whitewashed N end wall. House has, between stacks, 12-pane sash each floor and door to left. Then to left of left ridge stack another similar door (perhaps to a stable) and similar 12-pane sash above. Ground floor openings have stone voussoirs, house door is C20 6-panel, first floor sashes are hornless. Rear has 12-pane sash each floor to left, the lower one small with slab lintel, then 6-pane stair-light with slab lintel, then, to right, first floor 12-pane sash. S end wall has window each floor, boarded over 1996.  

Simple interior, without galleries. Plaster ceiling with coved cornice and crude rose. Tightly packed box pews, panelled with moulded top-rail, slightly raked. Four main blocks, two facing pulpit up to back of great seat, passage and one block each side with angled pews. Two small blocks between door and pulpit each side and one on each side wall. Great seat similar to pews, simple bench with doors each end. Pulpit probably later C19 with turned balusters to steps each side, newels with finials, arched panel to pulpit front and consoles under book-rest. Painted scroll behind 'Duw cariad yw'.  

Listed Grade II* as one of the best examples in Wales of an extremely isolated chapel of pre-1840 date built to serve a widely scattered congregation.