11489

 

II  

Designated  

22/08/1975  

12/11/2002  

Ivor English Congregational Church including forecourt walls  

 

Merthyr Tydfil  

Dowlais  

Merthyr Tydfil  

Dowlais  

306672  

207918  

 

On the SE side of Ivor Street just NW of Dowlais Works Stables and some 75m NE of the Church of St John.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

English Congregational chapel of 1860. The main founder, George Houlson, was brought from Bristol by the Dowlais Iron Company in 1857 to be the first headmaster of the Dowlais Infants School. The church was originally funded by Bristol people (at the instigation of the Will's tobacco family) seeking to help English speaking people at the Dowlais Iron Works. The site was obtained from the Dowlais Iron Company for £175 and a lease of £2.7s.6d (£2.38) per annum. The foundation stone was laid on 22/5/1860 by H.O. Wills of Bristol, the chapel was built by John Gabe for £811.10s.0d (£811.50) and it was opened 1/4/1861. The church was renovated in the early 1870s, in 1895 when the organ was installed, in 1928-9 and 1951. A further major renovation has been undertaken c1992-2002 with the aid of a Biffaward. The stuccoed forecourt walls have been altered since the 1975 listing.  

Chapel, painted stucco with slate deep-eaved roof and pediment gable. Two-storey gable front with moulded pediment, frieze beneath with evenly-spaced console brackets and three-bay front with moulded cornice over ground floor, plinth and Ionic pilasters, 4 to ground floor, 2 to upper floor. Large arch-headed plaque in gable '1860 Ivor English Independent Chapel'. Upper floor has arched windows with moulded surrounds, keystones, impost blocks and impost band. Centre triple window with narrower slightly shorter side lights, the centre light equal in size to those in the flanking bays. Ground floor has square-headed 4-pane window in moulded surround with sill brackets each side of centre arched doorway. Doorway has moulded arch with keystone on crude Ionic half columns. Double boarded doors. Raised plinth. Four-bay side walls with very long arched lights, impost band and brackets in eaves frieze. Rear vestry/hall with window each end.  

Plastered walls, 3-sided gallery on 7 iron columns with deep cove under cornice beneath painted panelled front of alternate long and square panels with centre clock. Painted grained box pews in 3 blocks. Later C19 platform with stairs each side, turned balusters and big turned newels with ball finials. Inner stair rails continue along platform front to panelled pulpit with arched-panelled front in contrasted coloured wood. Boarding behind pulpit under 1895 organ gallery which has ornate iron rail. Organ recess behind has broad arch on short pilasters. Large Peter Conacher 2 manual pipe organ. Raked gallery pews, painted with large panels to backs and shaped bench ends. Moulded cornice. Ceiling has centre rose within 2 moulded rings, and is divided by ribs.  

Included as an important chapel in the history of Dowlais retaining features such as the classical facade, box pews and fine ceiling.