History

The Methodist cause began in the area in 1765, first housed in Tai Cochion, S of Brynsiencyn. By 1785 plans had been made to build a more central chapel in Brynsiencyn and the first was built at Minfordd, or Hen Gapel. By 1806 the attendance had grown and a new chapel built at Mount Pleasant. In 1841 the third of the chapels was built which was converted for use as a school house and assembly rooms when Capel Horeb was built nearby in 1883. The first preacher in the new chapel was John Williams, a renowned preacher of the time who continued preaching at Capel Horeb until 1895. In 1963 Capel Horeb was renovated, an interior wall was built below the gallery at the entrance end, a school room built in the resulting lobby space, and the Deacons' room housed in the right hand(S) porch. The highly ornate plaster ceiling was also removed.

Exterior

A large, two-storey Calvinistic Methodist chapel in Classical style, with gable entrance and side wings of snecked rubble masonry with rendered dressings and stressed rock-faced quoins, the main body of the chapel to the rear of the entrance block rendered. Slate roof with decorative red clay ridge tiles and terracotta fleur de lys finials and ornate wrought-iron crosses at the apex to the main elevation and porches. Main gable entrance elevation is strongly symmetrical, the central part advanced as pedimented gable with two gabled porches with paired round-headed lights; entrances in the inner angles under a slate roofed verandah linking the two. Upper storey with 4 round-headed leaded windows with continuous sill band and stressed keystones. Gable pediment formed by rendered band with datestone 'AD 1883' in gable apex. Gable is flanked by two-storey gabled wings housing stairs to gallery, with tall round-headed leaded window with stressed keystone to front and round-headed 4-pane sash windows to each storey of gable return, and with quatrefoil vent grille in each gable apex. The windows to each side elevation are 4-pane sashes, lower storey square-headed, upper storey round-headed.

Interior

Entrance through the left hand porch doorway leads into the lobby beyond with gallery stairs to the left, Deacons room to the right (in the right hand porch) and the school room to the right. The chapel is entered through a panelled door to the left with set fawr opposite the entrance, a door left of the set fawr leads to a rear entrance vestibule. Fittings are of pitch pine. Set fawr, raised by one step, with plain panels to lower part and pierced floriate panels interspersed with turned balusters under a moulded rail to upper part. Side entrances and front (opened in 1963) with turned newel posts. Pulpit is canted with side entrances raised by curving steps with turned balusters and newels. Lower part of pulpit on a square moulded plinth, is of recessed panels with Ionic columns to angles, floriate carved band above; upper part with composite piers to angles with round-headed carved floriate panels in moulded surround under arch with floriate carving in angles, vitruvian scrolled band above under a moulded corbelled cornice. Behind the pulpit is a decorative moulded plaster arched recess, the arch formed by recessed decorated panels with moulded surrounds supported on paired fluted pilasters with crocket capitals linked by a band of floriate moulding; the recess above contains a radiating floriate pattern with moulded surround. Panelled doors flank the set fawr, above the right hand door is a memorial plaque to Rev. John Williams d.1921. Lower storey has 3 ranks of box pews; upper storey raking pews in U-shaped gallery supported on tapering fluted iron columns with ornate brackets. Gallery front formed of recessedmoulded panels to lower part with pierced floriate panels between turned balusters to upper part and round-headed carved floriate panels at intervals, with a moulded rail. Walls are plastered, painted, with tongued and grooved panelling to lower half. Ceiling is slightly coved with pierced wooden decorative vent grilles.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a good example of a large scale Calvinistic Methodist chapel, thought to be the second largest on the island. A building of ambitious scale and design for a small rural community and retaining many fittings including a highly ornate carved pulpit and finely detailed gallery. The chapel is of historic importance for its links with the famous Methodist preacher, John Williams.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29497250

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.

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