22769

 

II  

Designated  

06/12/1999  

06/12/1999  

Temple United Reformed Church  

 

Swansea  

Gowerton  

Swansea  

Gowerton  

259119  

196267  

S  

The chapel is set back from the road behind a low enclosure wall of snecked stone surmounted by iron railings with finials. Central double iron gates between square Gothic piers.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The original chapel of c1880 was of corrugated iron and was a sister chapel to Sardis, Waunarlwydd. A new chapel was built in stone in 1899 at a cost of £950 and the original chapel was moved to the rear to form the vestry. It was known as the Gospel Temple. A fire of c1912 left the chapel as a shell. It had to be restored, with a new stone vestry to the rear, whilst the interior was completely refitted. The work was undertaken by Brown, Thomas & John of Llanelli at a cost of £3,000. The exterior is in Gothic style, whilst the interior has elements of art-deco style.  

Constructed of coursed rock-faced stone, with pale stone dressings, under slate roofs with boarded eaves. Three conical vents on the roof, some missing. Two-storey 3-window gable entrance. Central gabled porch with finial and short buttresses to jambs with offsets. Pointed arched entrance approached by stone steps containing double panelled doors and overlight with Y-tracery. The arch dressing reads Gospel/Temple and a panel in the apex of the porch reads 1899. Above is a large 3-light pointed window with Y-tracery and decorated margin glazing. Flanking both this window and the porch are smaller 2-light windows in a similar style. In the apex is a pair of heavily dressed lancets containing louvres with a continuous sill band. At the front angles of the chapel are clasping square pilasters which rise as large octagonal pinnacles with pyramidal copings supporting weather vanes. Between the ground floor windows and the plinth are several foundation stones, partially eroded, and dated April 17th 1899. Short walls run outwards from each pilaster and contain pointed arched doorways. The E side has 3 narrow pointed windows containing 4-over-4-pane sash windows with margin glazing, under overlights with Y-glazing bars. To the L, in the angle between the chapel and vestry is a 3-window lean-to. Flat-headed sashes with margin glazing, that to the R narrower. To the end is a round headed doorway containing a panelled door and fan light. Similar pair of windows above lean-to, rising to eaves. The vestry has a hipped roof and projects to the E. The E end has 3 pointed windows in the same style as those to the E side of the chapel, and the S side has a pair of similar windows. To the SE angle is a rendered kitchen block with hipped roof and round-headed doorway to N. The W side of the chapel has 4 pointed windows and a small projection for a boiler. The W end of the vestry is in-set and contains 4 similar windows.  

Entrance vestibule with panelled doors to L and R leading into chapel, between which is a square window with pink margin glazing. Stairs to L and R sides. Gallery to rear of chapel supported on a single round cast iron column with scrolled and foliate capital. The straight gallery front consists of openwork iron panels decorated with uprights and circles, above wooden planking. Three tiers of pews to gallery, behind which is the organ. To the front of the chapel is a wide round arch, behind which is a domed apse. The arch is moulded with a vermiculated keystone, and is supported on fluted and gilded pilasters. Panelled soffit decorated with gilded dentils. The apse also has a cornice of gilded dentils. Two panelled doors lead out from the apse to the vestry. The large octagonal pulpit is offset to the L in Anglican style, in front of the archway jamb. It has open ironwork panels in the same style as the gallery front, above wooden panels. Door to L of pulpit leading to service rooms and vestry. Six-bay collar truss roof, boarded above the collars, and decorated with wood planked panels and iron openwork vents. The roof has been strengthened by long steel rods with scrolled top ends, supported by large scrolled brackets. The chapel is lined by wainscot panelling surmounted by a frieze of blind quatrefoils. Three banks of pews, wood planked with decorated bench ends, those to the W angled towards the pulpit. Low screens in front of outer pews, with open ironwork in same style as pulpit. Pink margin glazing to windows. Behind the pulpit is a brass plaque in memory of the Rev Benjamin Davies-Williams, pastor in 1880-3 and 1886-1916. The vestry has a panelled ceiling with diagonal planking, which is lower to the L and R and supported on round metal columns. Small kitchen to L rear, and doorway to L side.  

Listed for its distinctive early C20 character combining a Gothic exterior with a mildly Art Deco interior including high quality woodwork furnishings.