23020

 

II  

Designated  

21/03/2000  

21/03/2000  

Penuel Chapel  

 

Neath Port Talbot  

Cwmavon  

Port Talbot  

Cwmavon  

278214  

192089  

N  

Located opposite Jersey Row and next to the Jersey Arms public house.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Simple classical chapel of 1856 with added facade of 1908. In Gothic style with Art Nouveau glass.  

Tall gable-entry front with lower flanking staircase bays. Constructed of coursed rock-faced Pennant sandstone, with narrow angle buttresses and plinth, and slate covered roof. In the centre is a gabled doorcase with moulded stone dressings and large foliate finial. It contains a pointed arched doorway with chamfered and hollow mouldings and a hoodmould with large foliate end bosses. Planked double doors and overlight with vertical glazing bars. The doorway is flanked by small narrow lancet windows under similar hoodmoulds. Forming the sill band to the gallery window above is a wide cornice reading '1856 Penuel Capel y Bedyddwyr 1908'. The wall above the cornice is slightly set back. Large gallery window with pointed head containing 3 cinquefoiled lights and Perpendicular-style tracery. In the gable apex is a small dressed stone pediment containing narrow lancets. Large finial to apex. The flanking bays are 1-window and 2-storey with crenellated parapets to the fronts and sides. Short heavy polygonal pinnacles rise from within the angles of the parapets. Two-light windows with trefoiled ogee headed lancets, those to the upper storey under segmental heads and those below under pointed heads. The side walls have 2-light windows under segmental heads and a string course. The sides of the chapel are of rubble stone and are 2-storey and 4-window. The windows have round heads and are irregularly placed. Those to the S side have been replaced in UPVC. Pair to L under red brick heads, with arch of an earlier window with yellow brick head. Two further windows with yellow brick heads to R. Under the L pair of upper windows is a C20 concrete lean-to with door and 2 windows. The N side has a similar arrangement but the original windows are retained; 4-over-4-pane sashes with margin glazing. Vestry at right angles to rear attached to chapel by short linking range. Single storey, roughcast with asbestos slate roof, and large catslide section to W. Mainly UPVC windows, but 2 original windows to N end with Y-tracery are retained.  

Interior of 1908. Entrance vestibule with half-lit side doors with Art Nouveau glass and large window with similar glass between. Stairs lead off to L and R into the projecting staircase bays, leading up to the sides of the gallery where there are round headed doorways with high overlights. Large three-sided gallery supported on narrow cast iron columns with plain ringed capitals. Recessed panels to wooden gallery front and central clock. Seven tiers of pews to rear of gallery and 3 tiers to sides. To the front of the chapel is a segmental headed arch containing the organ with wood panelling below. Small pulpit with curved sides and arched panels reached by dog-leg stairs. Set fawr with curved angles containing panels of open ironwork including columns and scrolls. Panelled and half lit doors on either side lead to the vestry. Pews with plain bench ends. Pronounced moulded coving with lower frieze. Wood panelled ceiling surround. Two large foliate ceiling roses in high relief. The window lighting the gallery breaks through the ceiling coving and contains Art Nouveau glass.  

Listed for the fine facade and interior of 1908, the woodwork and Art Nouveau glass being of particular interest.