25841

 

II*  

Designated  

31/10/2001  

31/10/2001  

Coychurch Cemetery Capel Crallo and Capel Coity  

 

Bridgend  

Coychurch Lower  

 

Coychurch  

293236  

180206  

 

The main Capel Crallo fronts a lake with fountains and is joined to the smaller Capel Coity by a cloister walk and garden.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Cemetery complex built in 1970 as the Mid Glamorgan Crematorium by architect Maxwell Fry of Fry Drew and Partners, surveyor and engineer Mansel Matthews, contractors Arthur Phillips and Son. Stained glass windows by Swansea School of Art, the only signature A Seleschenko 1983. Influenced by Le Corbusier's Chapel at Ronchamp. Maxwell Fry gave a lecture in 1968 on the design of crematoria focusing on the need 'to make people participate more closely in the cremation service through the design of the building and its approaches', these principles being realised here.  

Capel Crallo is of rubble stone and concrete with panelled metal roof. Lake frontage comprises a range of 5 convex stone bays with intervening double full length stained glass windows in wooden frames divided by giant concrete mullions under an overhanging concrete roof. To left is a concrete 'porte cochere' with fluted piers and roof extending to form a canopy for funeral vehicles. To right a circular stone vestry with conical roof. Above rises the main chapel with an asymmetrical curved roof, deep rounded eaves, swept backwards to a curved cowl-like turret (formerly higher) surmounted by a cross; a large S window. From the side fronting carpark and adjacent wood, the slanting roofline, rounded eaves and coarse pebbly texture of the concrete panels predominate, with a range of square headed windows again with giant mullions low on the ground floor; to left the circular vestry adjoins with separate two bay entrance and to right is a covered way of stone, concrete and perspex, with brick paving and steps - the Flower Court where floral tributes are displayed. A high rubble wall extends in a curve enclosing the service yard with tall (raised) crematorium chimney and leads to a second chapel Capel Coity, square, of wood and stone, with shallow pyramidal roof and overhanging eaves; an angled wooden walkway supported by metal piers with memorial plaques on walls leads to the double part glazed entrance doors giving views of the interior. The fourth frontage is part of an open cloister with a stone walkway linking the two chapels and the third side enclosed by the long ramped approach to St Crallo's Chapel, here in 4 bays each of 9 full length stained glass panels, which ends in a small stone office.  

Very striking interior of St Crallo's Chapel begins with the long ramped approach; each curved bay to right has plaques on wall and interspersed stained glass panels, continuous to left, which feature the names of the deceased; floor is of brick either side of the carpeted walkway. Interior of Chapel is filled with light from large stained glass rear window, range of low side windows and angled roof light under turret which is over the bier. This bay with the high plain white wall behind is the focus of the left side of the chapel and the view from the entrance; the congregation sits to the right, with a decorative organ case on front wall. Furnishings, floor and curved suspended ceiling are predominantly of light wood. Coity Chapel is simple with a square tent like metal support to the square boarded panelled roof; diagonally boarded walls except for stone end wall and continuous band of eaves lights round all four sides.  

Listed II* for its exceptionally creative and thoughtful design by a major British architect and for group value with other parts of the complex, the Remembrance Chapel and the Cemetery Entrance and Lodge.