History

Maescanner Baptist chapel, serving the increasing population of the Dafen area, was built in 1863. Before the opening of the chapel, prayer meetings of the local Baptists had been held in a private house in Globe Row, Dafen. The church here was formed at first as a branch of Bethel; many early members also came from Adulam.

The interior was entirely rebuilt in the time of the Rev. T R Williams (minister 1909-1953). The rebuilding work was probably undertaken 1912; the records show a large debt was created at that date which took many years to pay off. Mr Griffiths of Llanelli is thought to have been the architect for the renovation.

Exterior

The front of the chapel, facing north to the street, remains as originally designed in 1863 in a simple Italianate style. Randomly coursed local stone with limestone dressings; rendered at sides and rear; slate roof with copper ventilation lantern midway along ridge. The name is displayed in an oval in the gable apex, with two small round-headed ventilators above. Panelled main entrance doors with round head, in a stone Romanesque style surround with small inset shafts. Tall windows each side of the door and a small tripartite window above, all with margin glazing. The side windows are designed in two storeys, with string courses linking the heads. The windows to the west and south sides have been replaced, but the east elevation retains the original sashes. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Interior

Entrance anteroom with a quarter-landing staircase at each side with carved newels and balusters; shaped handrail. Panelled doors to cupboards beneath stairs. The wall dado consists of vertical boarding with a small top moulding. Four-light window to interior, with obscured glass and coloured decorative motifs. Symmetrical six-panelled doors.

A striking interior with high-class joinery and plasterwork. The seating is in four blocks with two gangways, the rear three rows being slightly raised. The side blocks of seats are angled, and those at front turned 90 degrees, to face towards the pulpit. Each seat-end is numbered and has an umbrella stand. Fine carved pulpit in Classical detailing with front panels separated by small colonettes; entablature heavily moulded but without enrichment. Twin pulpit stairs with dark-stained carved newels and balusters. Panelled dado at rear of pulpit. In the plasterwork above the dado there is a wide arch-headed recess with Ionic pilasters; decorative key to the arch; flutes half filled. There is a baptistery in front of the pulpit. The set fawr has an open back, above seat level, to improve visibility of the baptistery. The top-rail is carried on decorative metalwork standards. The lower part of the seat back is panelled. A panelled door left of the pulpit leads to the vestry.

The gallery front is designed in panels divided by short fluted pilasters, with a perforated cast-iron strip above and a moulded and enriched handrail. The detailing is carried around small curves at the corners and there is a central clock. The front is supported on a beam with modillions carried on seven cast iron columns of Tuscan style. There are three seats at the sides of the gallery and four at the rear.

The ceiling is of exceptional elaboration, with fibrous-plaster panels incorporating ventilation grilles. It is painted three colours. It includes two circuits of diagonally fixed tongue-and-groove boarding, with deep ribs, all stained a dark colour. A plain cove contrasts with it and extends down to a small moulded and enriched cornice.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a chapel with an unaltered front of the mid-Victorian period, and a fine interior of c.1912 incorporating plasterwork and joinery of a high order.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29497875

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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