20688

 

II  

Designated  

21/10/1998  

21/10/1998  

Bethesda Chapel  

 

Powys  

Llangattock  

 

Llangattock  

320831  

217373  

 

Located in a prominent position in the fork of two roads, between the centre of Llangattock village and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Congregational chapel built in 1835 on a site given by Sir Joseph Bailey of Glanusk Park. It replaced an earlier chapel built to the S of the village in 1768, which survives as a ruin with a burial ground. The new chapel is shown on the Llangattock Tithe Map of 1845. The vestry is not depicted, so must be later. The central doorway in the lateral side is no longer in use but was originally for manoeuvring coffins in and out of the chapel.  

Simple Gothic style chapel with wide 3-bay gable-end facade. Constructed of large blocks of coursed grey rock faced stone, under a half-hipped slate roof. Characterised by pointed arched openings and Y-tracery. The window glazing has been replaced. There is a single storey vestry to the W with a masonry gable stack. The facade (S) has a central entrance with square headed C20 planked double doors under a round arch with a plain overlight. Short walls project a right angles to support the porch which appears to be later. The porch has a half-hipped roof supported on timber posts. It is slate covered except for the bottom of the front pitch which is in timber latticework. The entrance is flanked by tall pointed arched windows with Y-tracery and transoms. Above are 3 shorter windows in a similar style but without transoms, lighting the gallery. In the gable above the central window, is a blind oculus with voussoirs containing a slate plaque. This bears the inscription: BETHESDA / CONGREGATIONAL / AD1835. The E side is also 3-bay and contains a central entrance of C20 planked double doors under a pointed arched head. The entrance is flanked by tall pointed arched windows and the upper storey has 3 shorter windows, all as in the front facade. The N gable end has 2 windows, at a slightly higher level than those elsewhere and lighting the pulpit. These are pointed arched with Y-tracery and coloured glass in the apex. In the gable is a blind oculus with voussoirs. The W side is slate hung. The vestry has a rendered gable end. Its S face has 2 cross windows and a C20 door with overlight to the R. The N face has 2 similar windows, but the L one has been converted to a wood planked door with a lean-to roof.  

Three-sided gallery supported on gold painted columns composed of clustered shafts. The panelled gallery front has blind Gothic arches. The gallery has 3 rows of pews with decorated bench ends, and a timber wainscot. There is a vestibule at the entrance, with gallery stairs to each side and 2 doors into the ground floor which has 3 columns of panelled box pews and a timber wainscot. The panelling to the rear, to each side of the door has a curved brace. The pulpit is polygonal and has the same blind arches as the gallery front. Pulpit steps with turned balusters. The front of the gallery has a late C20 raised platform and a set fawr with twist balusters and square newel posts. Previously, the rows of side pews continued to the front. The ceiling has wide moulded coving and an ornate ceiling rose in the centre. Some of the windows contain coloured lights. The vestry has a collar truss roof with moulded brackets in the angles of the collar, a black stone fireplace at the W gable end and a timber wainscot.  

Listed as a good and promiently sited example of an earlier C19 chapel.