22092

 

II  

Designated  

23/07/1999  

22/10/2003  

Capel Salem (Capel y Cwm) old chapel  

 

Swansea  

Bonymaen  

Swansea  

Bonymaen  

267782  

195740  

 

Situated approximately 120m W of the junction of Cwm Chapel Road and Mansel Road; forward to E of the later chapel.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Calvinistic Methodist chapel dated 1782-3, improved 1823, galleried 1831 and improved again 1889. Converted to schoolroom when the big adjoining chapel was built in 1903-5. Floor inserted in C20. It is said that in 1822-3 the old chapel was demolished and rebuilt larger with chapel house and stable to the right and that alterations were made c1867 by John Humphrey that included raising the roof, reseating and the addition of front lobby. The long narrow lights are typical of Humphrey. It is likely therefore that the present appearance is largely of c1867. Gutted and roofless June 2003.  

Former chapel, now vestries. Rendered rubble stone with slate hipped roof and facade on long wall. Facade originally had 2 large arched centre windows and 2 doors under 2 large arched gallery lights. 1889 alterations included a triple-gabled porch, a long narrow arched outer stair light each side and possibly the centre keyed roundel window, certainly the wooden quatrefoil tracery. Glazing is generally altered: 2 centre windows boarded over. Porch has 3 gables, centre over arched entry, side ones over arched windows, and these also have smaller arched side windows. Parapet between gables, unpainted stucco. Sides and rear are rubble stone with red brick window surrounds, 2-window range to sides, 3-window to rear. Left side has 2 cambered headed windows below, 2 long arched windows above. Rear has 3 similar windows above, middle one lengthened as door to outside escape. Ground floor windows are blocked, but had stone voussoirs not brick surrounds.  

Interior much altered with floor inserted. Iron columns and lower cornice with brackets visible from ground floor, 2 inserted beams. Gallery was 5-sided probably of c1867. Upstairs gallery front removed, flat floor across, some raked pews survive. Plain moulded plaster cornice. Boarded later C19 ceiling with ribs in 4-pointed star pattern, centre roundel and 4 diamond ventilation panels. Ground floor has some painted grained box pews with roll-mould top, c1867, and panelled curved 'set fawr', original pulpit removed for small low pulpit. Boarded later C19 ceiling with ribs to a 4-pointed star pattern.  

A substantial earlier C19 chapel enlarged c1867 with hipped roof and long-wall facade, relatively uncommon in area. Included for group value with the new chapel despite the loss of much of the interior.