10869

 

II  

Designated  

10/01/1991  

10/01/1991  

Bethania Chapel  

 

Rhondda Cynon Taff  

Aberdare East  

 

Aberdare  

300219  

202490  

 

High above the street facing NE; hall to rear facing Griffith Street. On sloping site; 2 flights of steps to the forecourt beside No l0l.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

First built l853-4 by Evan Griffiths, architect of Aberdare; cost £l,600. New vestry added in l866. Extensively remodelled l884-5 by Rev William Jones of Ystrad and then soon after the Ysgoldy was added by Thomas Roderick, architect of Aberdare. Said to have been the first chapel in Wales to start the 'Gymanfa Ganu'.  

3-bay gable front of coursed rubble with plinth and quoins; slate roof and bracket eaves cornice. Roundel to top over giant arched central recess (the first example of this feature on a chapel façade) with voussoirs, this contains date plaque over tripartite window with oculi over each square headed small pane light; keystones, imposts, linked labels and overall sill. Round arched entrance below with impost band etc; double panelled doors with architrave, chevron arched band and carved stone tympanum symbolical of Evangelism. Small Flanking lobby windows. Outer bays have tall round arched sash windows with marginal glazing bars; stringcourse at mid-rail level. The façade is continued around the corners; then stepped forward with bull nosed quoins. 4-bay side elevations with sash windows, round arched over square headed. The Ysgoldy hall is off-centre to rear and set in the slope. 2-storey, 4-window, cement rendered gabled front with tapered end pilasters; slate roof. The chapel front is reflected in the recessed giant arch to centre, containing 2 windows. All sashes, round arched over square headed; labels to 1st floor. Door to right and Chapel House beyond.  

Internally there is a ceiling rose to chapel lobby; turned balusters to gallery stairs. Retains old platform with set fawr against front wall. 3 large panels to ceiling with roses; bosses to surrounding ribs and dentil cornice. Raked gallery corner on fluted cast iron columns with palm-like capitals and a collar band of similar leafy pattern. Panelled gallery front including pilasters with strapwork design. Organ over set fawr with arched panelling. Ysgoldy has canted ceiling with large central rose and smaller ones to ends.  

Group value.