11513

 

II  

Designated  

25/02/1987  

16/06/2003  

Carmel Welsh Baptist Chapel and attached schoolroom  

 

Merthyr Tydfil  

Vaynor  

Merthyr Tydfil  

Cefn Coed-y-Cymmer  

303468  

207763  

 

Set back from High Street at splayed junction with Holford Street and Pontycapel Road. Enclosed burial ground.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Baptist chapel dated 1844 with later C19 gallery and pulpit and alterations said to date from 1898-1900, including presumably the stucco ornament to the facade. Disused in 1986, the chapel using the former schoolroom. Since listing in 1987 the interior was refurbished, reopened June 1995, but renewed dry-rot within has required the removal of the pews from the ground floor. The schoolroom listed with the chapel in 1987 is altered and now used as chapel.  

Chapel, painted stucco with slate close-eaved roof, lateral facade with thin stucco pilaster at each angle, 2 long paired centre windows and 2 shorter outer gallery lights, all arched, and 2 flat-headed doors. Later C19 stucco surrounds to main windows with keystones and pier between windows treated as broad pilaster with fluted lower part and moulded cap. Doors are plain with C20 doors and overlights. Outer windows have stucco moulded arches and keystones. All glazing is C20. Raised plinth. Plaque with concave corners above centre windows: ''''''''Carmel Capel y Bedyddwyr Adeiladwyd 1844''''''''. Left end wall also stuccoed has raised strip each side and C20 window each floor replacing Georgian-style sash windows mentioned in 1987. Rear of rubble stone has 2 C20 similar windows each floor with stone voussoirs. Lean-to on right end wall, rubble stone main gable above. Right schoolroom range at right angles to facade has rendered wall (exposed rubble in 1987), C20 steps up at left to door.  

Three-sided galleries of c1860-70 date, on marbled cast-iron columns with chamfered and stopped bressumer, paired brackets to painted grained frontal. Frontal has panels in moulded surrounds, centre square panel with clock, longer panels each side, top cornice with fretwork course below and curved gallery angles with square panels. Painted grained raked gallery pews with panel backs and ends. Ground floor pews removed. Semi-circular balustraded pulpit with turned balusters, 2 large turned newels with finials, 2 ringed columns supporting beneath, and curving steps up each side without rails. Stud partition inserted to rear of columns. Flat ceiling divided by strips into panels, probably all C20. The 2 doors open into enclosed panelled lobbies with 4-panel doors and tilting overlights. Schoolroom, now chapel has boarded ceiling.  

Included as an early Victorian chapel with lateral facade and good surviving panelled gallery within.