24013

 

II  

Designated  

29/09/2000  

25/11/2004  

Ebenezer Wesleyan Chapel, forecourt wall and outbuilding  

 

Ceredigion  

Blaenrheidol  

Aberystwyth  

Ystumtuen  

273527  

278587  

 

Situated in Ystumtuen some 2.5km S of A44, at S end of row of houses and former school.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Wesleyan Methodist chapel of 1858. The chapel is said to have been the first Wesleyan chapel in the county, founded by Cornish lead miners in 1811, rebuilt in 1821 and in 1838, before being rebuilt again in 1858. The present chapel is called Ebenezer but in 1821 was called Salem, according to a date plaque which shows that by 1821 the congregation was Welsh speaking. The plaque, preserved in the porch, reads 'Salem/ Dyma Salem lle u/ addolu -/ lle u heddychu dyn/ Dduw -/ Aberth IESU -/ u bawb a ddol o/ ddynolruw JJJM/ in the year of our Lord/ 1821 October 29'. The style of the present chapel is similar to Ponterwyd chapel of 1854 and Trisant chapel of 1850.  

Chapel, unpainted stucco with slate eaves roof and brackets to eaves and verges. Gable end to lane but entry through porch in left side wall which has big off-centre gabled enclosed porch and large 24-pane sashes, two to left and one to right of porch. Slate sills. Porch has rusticated quoins, brackets to gable verges and round arched doorway. Door with five long pointed panels (similar to doors at Ponterwyd and Llywernog chapels) and radiating-bar fanlight. Moulded arched hoodmould with keystone. Gable facade has rusticated quoins, two long arched windows and lunette plaque (similar to those at Ponterwyd Chapel, Penllwyn Chapel at Capel Bangor, and Salem Chapel near Penrhyncoch) reading 'Ebenezer Ystumtuen Wesleyan Chapel Built in the year 1838 rebuilt in the year 1858'. Above is big late C19 rectangular plaque with moulded border to raised capital letters reading 'Capel Ystumtuen'. Windows have small panes and radiating bars in the heads. The moulded arched hoodmoulds with keystones are similar to the one over the door, perhaps later C19. Right side and rear gable end both have two 24-pane sashes. The gable end has a boarded loft door. Rubble stone forecourt walls with square gate piers to front left and return wall running back to join another similar gateway at chapel front right corner. Both gates are wrought iron with dog-bars and heart-shaped open finials at both mid-rail and top-rail. Wall and piers have cement coping inset with white stones. Attached to left of front wall is low rubble outbuilding with chimney at SE corner, door and window to N, to chapel courtyard. Slates of roof are cut to fishscale pattern.  

Broad near-square interior without galleries. Box-pews steeply raked back in 12 steps to back wall, with two aisles. Painted panelled pews and panelled doors, the top rails ramped up each row. Pews have painted graining on ends and front, but are painted brown with cream panels within. On front of front pews are benches with shaped bench ends. Open space in front has loose benches, two rows of inward-facing pews on wall opposite the door. Doors are double, panelled with radiating bars to fanlight. Further inward-facing pews, slightly raked, each side of the great seat which projects slightly and has curved angles. Bench seats within, shaped bench-ends to seat opposite pulpit. Painted graining. Pulpit is compact, not of later platform type, dark painted graining, and heavy moulded cornice. Front breaks forward with single panel and spiral-turned angle shafts. Short return with narrow panel and then curve to flanking panels. Pulpit left side is solid, right side is hinged as door with two steps up, turned newel and short handrail. Attractive painted-wood pulpit back with panelled thin pilasters and moulded arch with delicate trefoil cusping. Flat plaster ceiling with centre acanthus rose and four roundels.  

Included as a good example of the large chapels without galleries typical of the lead-mining areas, with particularly complete interior including an early pulpit.