19947

 

II  

Designated  

03/06/1998  

03/06/1998  

Rhoscolyn Methodist Chapel, railings and gates  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Rhoscolyn  

 

Rhoscolyn  

227134  

376419  

 

Set back slightly from the road, c 0.75km NNE of the Church of St. Gwenfaen in Rhoscolyn.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The Methodist cause in Rhoscolyn was first housed in Ty'n Rhos, a small cottage on the road to the right of the present chapel. It was then held in Ty Capel, the smallholding left of the present chapel which now has the school rooms above the stable. The new chapel was built in 1906, dated by stressed rendered lettering above the entrance.  

Large single-storey, gable-entry Methodist Chapel with Renaissance style detail to front elevation. Built of rubble masonry, rendered and pebble-dashed, with rendered dressings; hipped slate roof with red clay ridge tiles. Main entrance elevation is strongly symmetrical with a central panelled door under a gabled porch flanked by tall round-headed sliding sash windows with margin panes; moulded surrounds and stressed keystones. Above the doorway are 3 stepped, round-headed lights with corbelled sill and stressed, moulded, shaped hoodmould carried down to corbels. The shaped hoodmould is mirrored in the shaped centrepiece of the parapet above, and linked to it by moulded strips, framing stressed lettering reading: 1906 / RHOSCOLYN; this raised panel is surmounted by a fluted urn finial on a moulded plinth. The parapet is stepped down to either side, terminating in raised blocks with floriate panels, stepped caps and urn finials, over the engaged angle pilasters of the chapel: these are reeded in their upper sections only, and have recessed floriate panels at their heads. 4 bay return elevations, each bay with segmental-headed windows and the rear elevation has 2 round-headed windows; all with slightly recessed sash windows with margin panes. The gabled porch has a slate roof with bargeboards supported on timber piers with chamfered angles. In front of the chapel is a small yard enclosed by a low rendered wall with wrought iron railings and gates; pedestrian gates in front of the chapel entrance have chinoiserie style decorative piers with moulded caps surmounted by ball finials, gates have arched head rails and horizontal upper, lock and base rails with upright railings of varying heights topped by fleur de lys finials. Flanking low rendered wall with railings above terminates with square piers with stepped caps; gateway to left with similar pier at left side; similarly detailed gates with circular design between the 2 lock rails.  

Main entrance leads into a rectangular lobby with opposing side entrances with panelled doors; these lead into the chapel with set fawr at the opposite end. Fittings are of pitch pine with 3 ranks of raking pews. Set fawr is raised by 2 steps; rectangular with advanced central bay flanked by entrances. Lower part of recessed panelling with turned balusters above supporting a moulded rail; turned newel posts at angles. Pulpit is raised by 3 steps; rectangular, with slightly advanced central bay, formed by recessed panelling with central part raised, under a moulded cornice; side entrances with turned balusters and newel posts. Behind the pulpit are 3 tall recesses with open-pedimented, moulded, wooden surround; the central recess with a shallow pointed head, lower flanking recesses with square-heads. The ceiling is of diagonally set tongued and grooved panels, recessed and with moulded wooden dividers and circular, pierced, decorative ventilation grilles. Walls are plastered, painted, with tongued and grooved panelling under a dado rail to the lower part.  

Included as a good example of an early C20 Methodist Chapel boldly designed and of an ambitious scale for a small rural community.