22265

 

II  

Designated  

02/09/1999  

03/12/2002  

Capel Rhydybont  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llanybydder  

Llanybydder  

Rhyd-y-bont  

253379  

243663  

N  

Situated on the N side of the B4337 at Rhyd-y-bont approximately 1.2km E of the centre of Llanybydder.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Independent chapel of 1910-11 by W Beddoe Rees of Cardiff, Gothic style with Forest of Dean stone dressings. It cost £1,400. Replaced chapel first built in earlier C18, rebuilt 1778, rebuilt 1829.  

Chapel roughcast with Forest of Dean stone dressings and slate roof. Gothic gable front in typical late Gothic style. Outer plain piers with flush quoins and inset blank panels at tops, panels flat-headed with ogee tracery. Centrepiece has simple piers with flush quoins flanking small leaded window each side of 4, windows have blank cusped heads, door is recessed, 4-centred with carved spandrels. From corbels each side of door begin thin diagonal shafts carried right up facade to finials just under gable, framing plaque over door and continued up over outer mullions of big 5-light traceried main window. Broad rectangular recessed plaque over door. Ground floor plain piers are continued at first floor each side of main window in ashlar with blank cusped pointed panel and set-off at impost level of main window. Moulded string under sloping sill of main window, and carried across flanking piers. Main window is segmental-pointed with hoodmould and complex tracery. Flush band in gable apex below shaft finials and centre blank traceried panel. Leaded glazing with some Art Nouveau patterns in coloured glass. Plain rendered 2-storey, 4-window sides with dividing piers, cambered-headed windows and small-paned glazing. Rear organ lean-to with small ground floor lean-tos flanking.  

Lofty interior with gallery on 4 sides, the fourth dropped in front of big organ recess, the organ never inserted. Arch is moulded, depressed with shoulders and keystone. Four-bay roof has arch-braced collar trusses on corbels, sloping sides and ceiling at collar level. In each ceiling bay is rectangular boarded panel with diagonal ribs and two have centre metal pierced rose. Sloping sides also each have rectangular boarded panel. Gallery is on iron columns with swollen acanthus heads. Gallery front has timber cornice under continuous cast-iron band, made up of bolted sections. Double curve profile, fluted below anthemion-type pierced upper part. Timber top rail. Fourth side has similar ironwork in front of organ gallery but timber panels to downcurved and in-stepped sides. Pews in three blocks, canted pews outer blocks, canted to sides, with flat cornices to bench ends. Similar raked gallery pews. Similar 3-sided set fawr. Big pulpit platform with steps up each side, turned balusters, square panelled newels with urn finials. Short balustrade each side of canted panelled pulpit front with cornice and bookrest. Pulpit is carried on big brackets from centre stem. Rear lobby has 4 leaded 2-light windows with Art Nouveau coloured glass and top lights over, also over two matching half-glazed doors. Enclosed stairs to galleries.  

Included for its architectural interest as a scarce rural work by one of the leading Welsh chapel architects, with good Gothic detail externally and complete interior.