20571

 

II  

Designated  

19/10/1998  

19/10/1998  

Capel Bethania, chapel house and schoolroom  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Rhosyr  

 

Llangaffo  

244437  

368411  

NW  

Set back from the NW side of the B4419 in the centre of Llangaffo, c200m SW of the Church of St Caffo.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Early C20 Welsh Calvinist Methodist Chapel, the third to be built at Llangaffo. The original chapel was built in 1832, replaced by a new chapel in 1851, which in turn was superseded by the current chapel, built in 1901.  

The group comprises a rectangular plan chapel with 2-storey chapel house set back and attached to its left end, and a schoolroom range to the right, linked to the chapel by a short axial corridor (forming access to chapel) with pedimented porch to front. To the rear of the schoolroom is a single storey stable range with gabled wings to either side. Built of snecked rubble masonry with gritstone dressings; slate roof with projecting eaves and verges and slate ridge tiles. The chapel house has rectangular, rendered stacks with caps, one axial ridge stack and one stack at far right (SW) end. The schoolroom has a pitched roof, chapel and chapel house hipped. The principal elevation faces SE; entrance to the chapel in slightly advanced architrave with cornice broken at centre and surmounted by a pediment. Segmentally arched entrance, with double, panelled doors and fanlight with vertical glazing bars. The voussoir arch is supported on gritstone ashlar piers with plinth and stone cap. The chapel is of 4 bays, with tall 12-pane hornless sash windows of the chapel is the schoolroom; entrance through a gabled porch in gable end, with square-headed boarded doors set under a rectangular fan with glazing bars. In the gable apex above the entrance are stepped, rectangular lights of 2 and 6 panes, and flanking the porch are tall, 18-pane horned sash windows with stone lintels and slate sills. The NE wall of the schoolroom has four similarly detailed windows; the range to rear (originally the stables) has a single 6-pane sash window and modern doors. The chapel house at the SW end of the chapel is a 2-storey, 3-window range with central doorway; the round-headed, voussoir arched doorway contains a panelled door under a rectangular fanlight with glazing bars. Windows are slightly recessed sashes with stone lintels and slate sills; 4-panes over the entrance and 6-pane flanking windows. The rear elevation has scattered fenestration of 2 and 4-pane sash window and a tall stair light to the NE end.  

The pedimented entrance leads into an axial corridor; panelled doors at either end of the left hand wall lead to triangular side vestibules, with half-glazed doors leading into the chapel beyond. The set fawr is at the opposite end, raised by 2 steps, and rectangular with opposing side entrances, lower part with plain recessed panels, top part with pierced, decorative recessed panels under a moulded rail. The pulpit is raised by 3 steps, side entrances with turned newels. The front is of 3 bays, the central advanced and canted; recessed panelling, the front of the advanced bay with ornate floriate carving, side bays with top part formed by turned balusters under a moulded rail. The chapel fittings are of pitch pine; the pews are raking and follow the shape of the chapel, with a central bank facing the set fawr. Walls are plastered, painted, with tongued and grooved panelling, under a moulded dado, to the lower part. The set fawr is flanked by panelled doors, the left hand to a cupboard, the right hand leading to the chapel house beyond. Between the doorways the tongued and grooved panelling is broken by a tall screen of recessed panelling broken by a fluted frieze and raised at the ends to be surmounted by engaged globe finials, in the centre by a moulded, triangular pediment. The ceiling is coved, the central part formed by deeply recessed, tongued and grooved panels with moulded dividers; front and rear panels with ornate metal ventilation grilles. To the right hand side of the corridor a doorway leads into the schoolroom. The schoolroom retains the benches and the teachers' reading desk, rectangular with side entrances and angles articulated by square newel posts surmounted by ball finials; the front and sides with tongued and grooved panelling under a moulded rail. Walls are half tongued and grooved, the original gas brackets behind the teacher's desk.  

Listed as a particularly complete integrated group of chapel, chapel house and school. The group is well-articulated and retains its original early C20 character; the chapel also retains a well-detailed contemporary interior.