3125

 

II  

Designated  

01/05/1951  

30/07/2003  

Pontrhydyrun Baptist Church  

 

Torfaen  

Croesyceiliog  

Cwmbran  

Croesyceiliog  

330363  

196844  

SW  

On the SW side of Chapel Lane some 100 metres SE of its junction with Edlogan Way.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Baptist chapel of 1836-7, founded after the Pontnewydd Tin Plate Works were opened in 1802 by George Conway who moved to the area from Caerleon and opened the Pontrhydyrun Works in 1806. Services were held in the assorting room of the works. George Conway gave land for the first chapel 1816, and the church formed 1817 with the Conway family as founding members. The chapel faced the Conway burial ground. It was demolished for the present chapel which cost about £2000. It is said to have had a lower roof with parapet all around, altered in 1849 for £125. The gallery was altered in 1843. There were alterations in 1859 for £358/3/0d (£358.15), possibly the insertion of a heating system. In 1877 the pipe organ was bought from the Band Room at the Pontnewydd Works, having been bought by Charles Conway from Stow Hill church, Newport. Alterations in 1881. In 1889 the church was reseated, the baptistery built and a chandelier installed. Sunday school added 1906 for £1,400 with hall, eleven classrooms, pastor's room and kitchen. Organ renovated 1913-14 for nearly £700. War Memorial outside erected 1922 for £100. Chapel renovated 1925 for £167/10/0d (167.50). Heating system renewed 1927 for £208, organ restored 1952. Windows replaced in uPVC in late C20.  

Baptist church, painted stucco and ashlar dressings with low-pitched slate roof, classical style. Temple front to SE with moulded pediment and shaped plaque '1836', plain frieze below over paired ashlar angle pilasters framing 2-storey front with ashlar low plinth. First floor has 3 large arched windows, the centre one slightly larger, each in arched recess and with ashlar sill band. Ground floor has centre square-headed door in moulded plain architrave and square-headed large window each side in moulded shouldered architraves. Door is set in fine broad ashlar porch with two Ionic columns, pilaster responds with plain moulded capitals, and full entablature with cornice to flat roof. Porch is set on two stone steps, flagstones within. Large double panelled doors. Four-window sides with two similar ashlar pilasters framing each end bay, long arched windows in arched recesses with sill band broken at pilasters. Frieze is carried around, ashlar to NE side, under overhanging eaves treated as moulded cornice. All windows are renewed in uPVC reproducing previous very small panes and radiating-bar heads. Attached across rear NW is large schoolroom of 1904 altered in C20. Stuccoed, 2 storeys with hipped roof and flat eaves. NE end wall is painted with big recessed 3-light Palladian stair window to left, and 2-window range to right. Rear NW is unpainted, five bays, plus 2 bays to right. High plinth, long ground floor windows, shorter upper windows. All windows replaced in uPVC.  

Interior has flat ceiling (possibly C20) divided into grid of squares with applied small ornate pierced rose. Coved cornice. End wall gallery on single thin iron column probably earlier C19 carrying moulded beam carried at each end on late C19 or early C20 pierced curved iron bracket. Far projecting moulded timber cornice under ornate cast-iron frontal with fluting to convex curved solid base and pierced acanthus pattern to concave-curved upper part, possibly by Macfarlane of Glasgow and of late C19 or early C20 date. Later C19 pitch-pine pews with roll-moulded tops, in 3 blocks fronting very large late C19 oak platform pulpit. Broad low platform with steps up each side and end balustrades with turned newels and balusters. Fielded panelling to platform front and back. Long front has top cornice with fluted frieze over 2 tiers of panels, square corner sections and long projecting centre with quadrant curved angles each side of 4-bay front flanked by fluted pilasters. Very large centre book-rest. Panelled long base overhung by centre projection. Behind pulpit is large plaster arch on end wall with thin pilasters, console caps and moulded thin arch. Half-glazed doors to rear schoolrooms to left and right of pulpit. Stepped plinth in front of pulpit conceals baptistery. Entrance lobby has flight of stairs to gallery on right, plain with turned balusters and square newels. Gallery carries organ of 1877 by Vowles of Bristol. Schoolrooms are on two storeys to rear, with kitchen and toilets in block to left.  

Included as a particularly fine classical chapel of 1836, of unusual size and with good ashlar detail.