21376

 

II  

Designated  

18/02/1999  

18/02/1999  

Wesley Methodist Church  

 

Caerphilly  

Caerphilly  

Caerphilly  

Caerphilly  

315313  

186808  

W  

Located at the junction of Crescent Road and St Fagan's Street, just W of the town centre. Set into the slope with elevated entry over basement area.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Methodist Church built in 1929-30 by J H Phillips & Wride, architects of Cardiff, to replace the former church in Castle Street which had been opened in July 1868. This earlier church was demolished in the late 1920s, probably by the Earl of Bute as part of his remodelling of the town and castle grounds. A commemorative tablet inside the church refers to the 'noble gift' of Joseph Rank Esq. whose generosity made possible the erection of the church. It also states that the foundation stones were laid on 1st August 1929. The church was opened on 28th May 1930 by Mr and Mrs C Edward Williams of Cardiff.  

Art-Deco style chapel with Perpendicular tracery. Single range with basement. Three-bay side walls, 1-bay end walls. Constructed of Flemish bond brickwork under a shallow hipped slate-covered roof with wide boarded eaves. Pale stone dressings. Almost full-height brick pilasters to angles and framing openings. Tall 5-light windows to sides with narrowly spaced hollow-chamfered mullions and traceried heads. Heavy moulded window surrounds with flat heads and raked sills. The lower parts of the window openings are infilled with herringbone brickwork. Single panelled door to L of S side reached by bridge, and single light to far R. The pilasters continue down to the basement storey where they are wider, and again frame the windows. Three-light basement windows with horizontal glazing bars, divided by brick mullions in same style as pilasters. Flat heads with gauged brickwork. The main entrance is at the E end. Central panelled double doors in heavy architrave set within a wide full-height stone surround. This frames a 15-light window above the door. The hollow chamfered mullions continue down from the window, flanking the doorway, where they are infilled with herringbone brickwork. The large W window is also within a moulded stone surround, and includes 2 bands of herringbone brickwork between the mullions, one just above the sill. There is a 5-light basement window below, divided by brick mullions, and flanked by short square piers.  

Entrance vestibule at E end from which 2 doors with stained glass lights lead into the church, and stairs lead up to the gallery. Between the doors are 2 windows with stained glass in Art-Nouveau style. Between the windows in the vestibule a large tablet commemorates those who raised funds for the construction of the church, and who laid the foundation stones in 1929. Wood panelled, decorated gallery front. The gallery now supports an organ, brought from Bristol in the late C20. Original pews. At the W end is a large wood-panelled pulpit with steps to each side, which also lead to a gallery across the width of the church for the seating of the elders. In front is a small communion table and a moulded communion rail with panels below of decorative ironwork. Doors to the sides of the W end lead into vestry and service areas. A small side door leads out to the S and is the current entrance. The windows have geometrical stained glass in the tracery lights (yellow, pink and orange), all to match the colour of the walls and ceilings. Moulded ceiling cornice.  

Listed as an excellent example of the continuation of the chapel-building tradition into the inter-war period, the Art-Deco style being most unusual.