24011

 

II  

Designated  

29/09/2000  

26/09/2005  

Eglwys Bresbyteriadd Cymru Y Garth, including forecourt wall, railings and steps  

 

Gwynedd  

Porthmadog  

Porthmadog  

Porthmadog  

256792  

338641  

NW  

On the NW side of Bank Place, at its junction with Dora Street, approximately 75m W of its junction with the High Street.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

A Calvinistic Methodist chapel of 1898, by Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadog, replacing a chapel of 1845 (dates on building). Its Italianate front with stair towers in the wings was characteristic of Roberts, and was used in his Capel Coffa Emrys in Porthmadog (1879, demolished). Garth closed in 1999.  

A freestyle chapel mixing Italianate and early Gothic detail, of snecked rock-faced stone with grey freestone dressings, and slate roof with ridge ventilators. The chapel has a 3-bay gable-end front flanked by lower near square stair towers set slightly back. The pedimented front has a recessed central bay under a giant arch breaking through the cornice. Outer bays have rusticated quoin strips in the lower stage and Tuscan pilasters to the gallery stage. Windows have corbelled sills. In the central bay are triple round-headed windows with keystones and moulded architraves. Outer bays have double windows in architraves with pediments. A raised moulded band is between stages. The gallery stage has taller triple round-headed windows in the central bay incorporating 2 ringed polished granite shafts. Outer bays have similar double windows. Above the cornice is a lunette, with large panelled apron below the cornice, set within the giant arch, which has a moulded head with keystone and intermediate voussoirs. The moulded pediment has an apex urn finial and iron weathervane. At basement level the central bay has a half-glazed panel door with diamond-leaded lights, in a surround with Tuscan pilasters and pediment with a wooden painted board recording the building and enlarging of the chapel. It is flanked by narrow segmental-headed windows. Outer bays have pairs of similar windows. Stair towers have freestone quoins, a freestone eaves cornice and parapet with an open balustrade with angle piers and urn finials, behind which are hipped roofs. Double panelled doors have Tuscan pilasters and segmental pediments with prominent keystones. Above are paired round-headed windows with keystones and central ringed shaft, and coloured glass in small panes. Side walls have 2 tall round-headed windows with keyed architraves, small-pane margin-lit sash windows under semi-circular heads with diamond glazing. In the side wall of the R-hand tower, facing Dora Street, the basement is scribed roughcast and has 2 margin-lit sash windows. The 5-window side walls are of scribed roughcast, and have margin-lit 8-pane sash windows. At the lower level they have plain architraves and segmental heads. At gallery level, they are round-headed with keyed architraves and have diamond-pattern glazing to the heads. Offset towards the front end of the chapel are external stacks with rusticated quoins, rising above eaves gables. The R side wall has a porch at the R end which has a round-headed window in the gable end and boarded door on the side continuous with the rear of the chapel. The forecourt has snecked rock-faced walls with freestone coping and iron railings. The R-hand side is splayed on the corner with Dora Street. Three square monolithic gate piers with moulded caps and bases carry 2 iron gates with intersecting arches across the dog bars, and finials. Each pair of gates leads to a flight of stone steps. At the L end is a replacement boarded door under a segmental head, leading to a basement passage at the side of the chapel.  

Not accessible at the time of survey.  

Listed for its special architectural interest as a prominent, large and imposing late C19 chapel of definite character, close to the town centre and port, and for its contribution to the historical integrity of Bank Place.