22264

 

II  

Designated  

02/09/1999  

06/09/2002  

Ffaldybrenin Independent Chapel including attached building to right.  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llanycrwys  

Llanwrda  

Ffaldybrenin  

263702  

244595  

 

Situated in a prominent position facing S in the centre of Ffaldybrenin village.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

An Independent chapel rebuilt 1873 by John Humphrey of Morriston. The cause was founded, perhaps as early as the 1690s, by Daniel Harry of Esgairowen. The members first met, from c1700, at Croff-y-cyff, replaced by a chapel built at the present site at Ffaldybrenin 1792-3. This original chapel was rebuilt in 1833. Gallery ironwork is an unusual type also found at Alltwalis Chapel.  

Chapel, coursed rubble stone with banding and windows white-painted stucco or ashlar. Slate roof overhanging at front gable. Interesting use of recession, first floor has big arched recess reaching into gable, side windows are in narrow arched recesses carried down to ground. Recesses have stone voussoirs. Flush painted bands across gable apex, with inscription, near top of main arched recess each side of a small roundel, and at impost level of side arched windows, all carried right across. Broad band with moulding beneath under centre windowsills, carried across to edge of side window recesses. Plinth across sides but not centre. Centre three doors, centre one larger, all arched with stone voussoirs and panelled doors. Above are 4 plaques with recessed patterns, 2 outer squares with quatrefoils, 2 inner rectangles each with 4 joined circles. Outer windows are long narrow 2-light with white-painted surrounds and arched heads. Two central windows are paired 2-light with similar short narrow arched lights, but jambs flush-rusticated, each with plain roundel over, also painted, but with stone voussoirs. Small roundel above under arch. Plain 2-storey, 3-window rendered sides, arched upper windows, cambered below. Rubble stone rear with 2 arched windows, stone voussoirs and marginal glazing bars. Attached to right is 2-storey building, probably originally stable under vestry, rubble stone with slate roof and right end chimney. C20 windows and centre door. Two original sashes at first floor in end wall. Entrance to upper floor by rear-wall door.  

Lofty interior with 3-sided boarded roof on plaster cornice with plaster wall-posts. Ribbed ceiling with 4 small square vents and one larger centre one, of pierced iron, the centre one of 4 triangles. Fine 3-sided gallery with curved angles on marbled iron columns and leaf caps. Deep painted grained cove under fretted cornice, vertical boarding under continuous band of pierced cast-iron, and moulded rail with fretted course under. Cast iron is in pattern of opposed rows of half-circles joined by pierced lozenges. Raked gallery pews, curved to line of gallery, with boarded backs. Similar main pews in 3 blocks, outer ones canted, some inward facing pews each side of pulpit. Similar 3-sided set fawr. Big pulpit platform with turned balusters to stairs each side, varied shapes to newels. Timber arcaded balustrade to platform each side of pulpit, narrow arches. Fine and ornately grained big projecting canted-sided pulpit. Three arched panels to front, one to each canted side, with dark-grained pierced roundel over 2 small arched panels over small rectangular panel. Chamfered pilasters and dark-grained impost pieces. At angles 4 grained Corinthian pilasters with curious finials over, against angles of moulded rail. Base is chamfered back over plain panelling. Boarded dado behind pulpit in big plain arched recess with painted inscription and 2 marble memorials, the principal one, neo-Grec, to Evan Davies of Swansea (d 1872), memorial by P Rogers of Swansea. Lobby with centre 4-pane cambered-headed window and doors in sides.  

Included for its architectural interest as illustrating the innovative chapel architecture of John Humphrey, reworking the forms of the arched-windowed chapel in new ways. Complete interior survives.