25696

 

II  

Designated  

15/08/2001  

15/08/2001  

Closygraig Calvinistic Methodist Chapel  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Llangeler  

Llandysul  

Drefach Felindre  

236298  

237849  

E  

On elevated terrace behind wall and railings, overlooking a bend in the road.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Original chapel built in 1754, rebuilt in 1853, to designs by Rev. Evan Harries of Merthyr, and rebuilt in 1900 at a cost of £1,500.  

Gable-fronted chapel of c1900, 2-storeyed, stucco rendered, with pitched, slated roof. Facade has raised, squared stucco pilasters to angles with wider, banded bases and matching capitals. Tall arched-headed windows to outer bays with raised stucco surrounds and matching sills on corbels. Wide, centre bay has two matching arched headed ground floor entrances with raised, square, stucco pilasters bearing projecting capitals beneath arch springs. Raised stucco hoods with large keystones. Paired boarded timber doors to each entrance, with coloured glazed overlight. Set above these, to centre, is slate plaque within arched headed recess with similar stucco surround and corbelled sill. Above this are three arched headed lights, closely set, with stucco pilasters, capitals, hoods and keystones to match entrances, all above single, corbelled sill. All windows have 2-light glazing with roundel in head. Raised stucco band below gable and beneath bargeboard. To gable centre is roundel with raised stucco surround and large keystones to compass points. Chapel N side in painted, undecorated stucco, has 2 storeys, 4 bays, arched-headed windows to upper storey, cambered headed below, all vertically bisected, with stone sills.  

Chapel interior of c.1900 with two aisles, 3-sided rising gallery carried on 7 cast iron columns. Pews, pulpit, deacons seat and gallery front all in pitch pine. Painted stucco walls and ceilings. Lobby has tiled floor, ceiling corbels and decorative 3-panel light to chapel, with Gothic arched heads and divided by rounded columns. 2 pairs of 2-panelled doors to chapel. Pews of outer bays angled towards pulpit. Pews throughout have long, horizontal panels to rears and lightly carved terminals. Symmetrical pulpit with slightly projected centre. Stairs to sides with turned balusters and coping rail and larger, decorative, carved end-posts with round heads. Pulpit centre has 2 square panels, diagonally slatted, to base, with 2 narrow, plain horizontal panels above. Raised timber banding above these beneath upper section with elaborately carved paired Gothic headed panels. These panels vertically divided by rounded pillars. The flanks, set back, have similar but plain panels to base, but with upper sections comprising vertical panels in pierced cast iron. Panels display fleur-de-lys and foliate motifs. Wide coping rails above. Pulpit back, located between 2 tall, arched-headed windows, is an arch in timber, painted to resemble stucco. Arch sides have narrow vertical panels, with elaborate brackets to arch springs with florid decoration. Arch has 2 bands of foliate decoration to the upper portion. Plain arched-headed recessed panel to centre. Before the pulpit is a half-octagonal deacons' seat with pierced cast iron panels to seat backs. These bear foliate designs, including quatrefoil motif, all by 'Walter MacFarlane and Co., Glasgow'. Corbels to ceiling sides beneath gallery, which has curved angles. Cast iron columns by 'T. Jones and Son. Priory Foundry, Carmarthen'. Classical heads, one dated '1899'. Gallery front has serration pattern beneath wide timber band, between the matching coping rail and which, lies a continuous band of painted cast iron panels. These panels display foliate designs set within a square and diamond. Opposite the pulpit is a small clock set within a small, square timber panel. The main ceiling has a banded stucco cornice and 2 wide margins, with square timber vents set to the corners - each bearing a Celtic cross motif. To the centre, within a raised stucco circle, is a large ceiling rose with florid and foliate designs with similar decoration to wide raised margin. Similar, smaller roses, less ornate, towards pulpit and entrance, set within diagonal bands of raised stucco leading from the ceiling corners towards the centre. Similar raised stucco bands lead from the triangle points to the centre rose. Similar bands run to the chapel sides from the centre rose.  

Included as a well-proportioned chapel of c.1900 with above average quality stucco work.