18997

 

II  

Designated  

15/10/1997  

15/10/1997  

Carvan Congregational Chapel  

 

Pembrokeshire  

Lampeter Velfrey  

 

Carvan  

217461  

214105  

 

2 km E of Lampeter Velfrey. Graveyard to the S side with rendered stone boundary wall and a simple iron gate. Separate vestry building within the graveyard.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

A place named Park Carvan was registered in 1797 for public worship by Protestant Dissenters. Its first minister was the Rev. David Morgan. The site lease for the first chapel was dated 1804. It was a building of one door, one window and 'one skiw or settle or pew' and was soon found to be too small. The present Carvan chapel carries the date 1797 but was commenced in the time of the Rev. John Lloyd in 1832. The builder at the latter date was Thomas Thomas: a gravestone near to the detached vestry building records one of this name, b.1779, who lived at Seven Acres. It was built in eleven months, and as soon as the Pulpit and Big Seat were complete services began. The gallery was completed the following year and the ceilings some years after. The building remains as completed in the 1830s.  

The chapel is of long-wall-entry type, facing SW. Rendered walls, with rustication worked in the render up to lower sill level and as quoins. Hipped slate roof. Entered by symmetrically placed doors, one each side of the pulpit. Range of four windows to the front, consisting of one window at high level above each door and two flanking middle level windows (above pulpit). Replaced joinery. Small name plaques with the date of the original chapel (1797) are displayed at high level centrally on the front and rear elevations.  

The gallery, round three sides, with curved angles, and the pulpit are the most conspicuous features of the interior. The gallery is carried on five round cast-iron columns. These are about 12 to 13 cm diameter, three of them carrying the date 1833 in raised numerals. The columns are clearly from the same foundry as those of Ffynnon chapel in Llanddewi Velfrey. The front is of fielded panelling without decoration. The seating on the gallery is in three rows with raised corner seating to ensure optimum visibility of the pulpit from all points. The pulpit has six steps each side, balustrading front and rear with moulded newels and finials, and a panelled front. Two very tall late-C19 brass lamp standards. Behind the pulpit are two round-headed windows. The Big Seat before the pulpit is raised one step; the seat is curved at the corners. The seating of the congregation faces forwards and inwards and has a complete division on the central axis. Slight rake to the floor. Symmetrically at each side of the pulpit is a small entrance lobby, with paving of decorative quarry tiles. From each lobby a door leads to the main interior of the chapel and stairs lead to the gallery. The doors to the main interior are half-glazed with etched margin panes. The stairs are slate with sandstone treads. At mid height there is a gallery door to each flight and the stairs above are of timber. The interior preserves its 1832-3 layout unaltered apart from a pew alteration for the insertion of a harmonium.  

A complete early C19 chapel of long wall entry type, retaining its interior character virtually unaltered.