Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
23081
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
29/03/2000
Date of Amendment
13/03/2003
Name of Property
Saron Old Chapel
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Neath Port Talbot
Community
Pontardawe
Town
Swansea
Locality
Rhyd-y-fro
Easting
271271
Northing
205951
Street Side
Location
Situated in Rhyd-y-fro on the E side of the A474 next to former manse and some 100m S of the new Saron chapel.
Description
Broad Class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Period
History
Independent chapel of 1843, used as schoolroom after new chapel was built nearby in 1904. Chapel cost £320 and originally had no gallery. Gallery inserted later, at an unknown date, possibly the 1860s. A long-wall facade, with the interior aligned on the front wall, but there was never a second door on the front wall. Such asymmetrical chapels are an occasional feature of the period c 1830-50, e.g. Sardis, Cwmcanlais, Brecs (1835). The present front wall door was reopened in the C20, previously entry was from a door in the right end wall. There were outside steps on the left end wall to the gallery, since removed.
Exterior
Chapel, whitewashed rubble stone with slate roof. Long wall front of 2 large arched windows with stone voussoirs and stone sills, single plain flat-headed door to left with stone voussoirs. C20 hardwood windows, framed boarded door. Plaque between windows 'Saron Capel yr Anymddibynwyr Adeiladwyd AD 1843'. Right end wall has blocked door.
Interior
Interior has been mostly stripped of fittings, but gallery survives. Three-sided gallery on 2 thick cast-iron columns with painted marbling. The gallery front in long panels with shorter panels in curved angles. Panelled ground floor dado, No internal access to gallery. Two blocked windows rear of gallery, former gallery door to left wall. Pulpit was on front wall between windows.
Reason for designation
Included as an early surviving chapel in the region, one of a relatively small group of chapels with a single asymmetric door to a long-wall facade.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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