History

Independent Chapel of 1827, replacing one of 1703 rebuilt c1760 and 1791, altered 1801, testimony to the growth of the cause. It was rebuilt for the Rev Morgan Jones, minister 1799-1835. The cause was founded c1670, one of the earliest of the region, and the chapel was the mother chapel of numerous others. The gallery columns are dated 1827, but it is possible that much of the woodwork is mid to later C19 (similar to that in Ty Hen chapel dated 1867).

Exterior

Chapel, rubble stone with hipped slate eaves roof with paired brackets to eaves. Six-bay front with raised plinth, C20 renewed windows, cut grey Cilgerran stone voussoirs and keystones to recessed heads and cemented sills. Two long arched windows in centre, datestone between, then doors in later gabled porches, then square-headed short gallery lights over and slightly further out, and finally ground floor outermost longer square-headed windows. Arch-rings to centre windows, slightly cambered recessed heads to others. C20 coloured leaded glass replacing original small-paned glazing. Porches have boarded doors and traceried fanlights, flush voussoirs without keystones. Inner 4-panel doors with square heads. Plaque reads 'Rock Chapel Rebuilt and enlarged 1791 also rebuilt and greatly enlarged AD 1827 M. Jones Minister. The first body interred here Ad 1750'. C20 plaque below recording 1670 foundation. End walls have very unusual external stone stairs to gallery, not bonded in, the left stair has slate-slab coping and added lean-to enclosed porch at top with boarded door. Right stair has double 2-panel gallery doors with voussoirs and keystone. One window each floor beyond stairs, square 12-pane over long 12-pane, also with voussoirs and keystones. Rear has 2 long arched 32-pane lights with Gothic intersecting bars in the heads. Flush voussoirs without keystones. Bracketed eaves not continued to rear. Brick outbuilding to rear right .
Schoolroom attached alongside outside stairs to right, at right angles to chapel, rubble stone with hipped close-eaved roof. Horned 6-pane sash windows, the outer panes narrow, stone voussoirs and slate sills. End wall to road has square basement entry and sash window above, not aligned, both offset to left. Left side has one sash. Right side wall has door to left, 4-panel, and 2 sashes. Rear has one sash.
Rubble walls to forecourt with slate copings and low late C19 Gothic cast-iron railings and 2 sets of gates. Railings have column shafts and trefoil cusping under top rail and, reversed, over bottom rail. Florid finials on row of half-circles over top rail. Paired gates have similar pattern over plain dog-bars. Thin cast-iron panelled posts with cornices and curved pyramid caps.

Interior

Large interior with 3-sided gallery, on cast-iron columns, one column dated 1827. Painted grained gallery front in square panels with moulded surrounds, plain cornice below and deep frieze painted white. Curved gallery angles, centre clock inscribed B. Morris Newcastle Emlyn. Plaster ceiling with double circle around centre unusually large moulded plaster decoration, made up of rich plant-scroll motifs, with flowers to an overall circular form. Another double circle further out touching a double border at the sides, a small circle between large circle and border at the ends. Painted grained box pews in two main blocks facing pulpit, rear pews raked, and 3 raked blocks each side, the first two facing inward the third concave-curved in rear corners with curved pews. Pews are panelled with stopped chamfers, possibly mid C19. Similar raked gallery pews, also curved in corners.
Pulpit with painted grained shallow-curved platform front. Centre narrow pulpit with panel and balustrading each side over horizontal panels. Turned balusters, the balustrade terminated each end with little concave curve and turned newel with ball finial. Five tall large panels to platform base, with concave curved piece each end. Curving side stairs with turned balusters and thin newels. Convex plaster niche behind with moulded arch on brackets and moulded impost band, continued back into window reveal each side. Set Fawr enclosed by panelling continued across from pew blocks each side.
Schoolroom has boarded dado, bench seats, and C20 lowered ceiling. Basement door opens into low space with sloping bedrock floor.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* as a large early C19 chapel with fine painted grained woodwork to the interior, partly of 1827.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17743290

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)