14264

 

II  

Designated  

14/02/1994  

14/02/1994  

Welsh Presbyterian Church  

 

Denbighshire  

Rhyl  

 

 

301004  

381406  

 

On the corner of Clwyd Street and Brighton Road.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Built in 1855 to designs of W Owen, architect of Llanrwst, and extended in similar style with the addition of a school room c1880.  

Brown brick, (some stamped W Hancock), with freestone dressings and slate roof. Wide gabled entrance front to Clwyd Street, divided into 3 bays by pinnacled buttresses with 3-bay recessed arcaded porch in centre, forming lobby beneath internal gallery, the chapel entered through doors to either side in N and S walls. Triple windows above the porch, plate tracery with pronounced hood moulds. Similar foiled lancet windows in outer bays, and small quatrefoil windows to either side of porch. Five-bay N and S elevations, divided by pilaster buttresses. Two-light plain chamfered mullioned windows to lower storey, and similar paired windows above, set in blind traceried arches. Plain parapet at eaves. School room added as cross gable to E in identical style. Two-storeyed entrance block set back to E with chamfered arched doorway with pierced spandrels. Two shouldered mullioned windows to ground floor in cross gable, plate traceried windows above, and small rose window in apex.  

Coved ceiling divided into panels by moulded cross-beams carried on ornate brackets, divided into panels which are boarded with painted decorations in the angles. Complete interior fittings, dating from the extension of the church with the addition of the schoolroom to the east. Open pews face large pulpit in contemporary set fawr enclosure with deacons’ seat. Horse-shoe gallery is carried on cast-iron columns and brackets and has raked seating. Panelling to parapet of gallery is continued across east wall of set fawr and organ loft above: it exploits the knotting of the wood to high decorative effect, is divided by pilasters and has scalloped cornice. School rooms form cross-wing of chapel to the east, along and the deacon’s room, etc. The upper school room runs the entire width of the building in 5 bays and has arched braced trusses with scalloped moulding; ornate open-work plaster ceiling roses probably serving as ventilators.  

An excellent example of chapel architecture, with a complete, richly detailed interior.