Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Llandderfel, Gwynedd

Entry Name: Calvinistic Methodist Chapel

Listing Date: 31 January 2001

Last Amended: 31 January 2001

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 24613

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: Llandderfel Chapel

ID on this website: 300024613

Location: Set back from the street behind a short low-walled forecourt, the walls coped and railed, and with gate and end piers.

County: Gwynedd

Town: Bala

Community: Llandderfel

Traditional County: Merionethshire

Tagged with: Chapel

History

Late C19 Calvinistic Methodist chapel, built in 1885-6 together with the adjoining manse.

Exterior

Large village chapel in eclectic classical-Romanesque style. Of slatestone construction with yellow sandstone dressings and slate roof. Strongly-modelled, 3-bay symmetrical facade of coursed, dressed slatestone, with coped and kneelered gable parapet having a decorative iron finial to its apex. Shallow projecting entrance to centre with coped gable finialled as before; segmental arch with chevron moulding and engaged flanking columns having Early English capitals; 6-moulded panel doors. Above the entrance is a triple round-arched window group with stiff-leafed capitals and plate tracery within: shouldered-arched lights with oculi above. Above this is a rose window of 8 round-headed lights, with a moulded and stopped semi-circular label. Flanking the entrance in slightly recessed panels are tall round-arched windows with hollow-chamfered jambs and returned, moulded labels; foliated stops and rusticated keystones. Above the windows are flush, dentilated pediments. Fixed glazing with marginal and large geometric panels to these and the triple-arched group. Rusticated quoins in the form of pilasters frame the facade; these terminate towards the top and continue as ashlar. Two-storey plainer side elevations with flat-arched ground and round-arched first-floor windows; these have 12-pane sashes with marginal glazing, with chamfered jambs and projecting sills.

A contemporary vestry and school-room block adjoins to the rear, overlapping the R chapel side slightly. Entrance via a boarded door to the L, with 3-pane overlight; 8-pane narrow vertical sash to the R.

Interior

Plain entrance lobby with moulded plaster cornice. Stair access to gallery to R and L with arches over. Wide depressed arch opposite the entrance with frosted glass window having marginal glazing; entrances to main chapel (ground floor) to R and L. Raked pew seating down to Set Fawr; pitch pine joinery throughout. Horseshoe-shaped gallery with similar seating; the gallery is carried on 6 slender cast iron columns with acanthus capitals and scrolled iron brackets. Dentilated soffit and panelled front with long moulded rectangular panels divided by small square ones; painted marginal decoration. The ceiling consists of a main section with 4 boarded compartments around a central plasterwork acanthus rose, with a large outer circle having scrollwork relief decoration. Smaller decorative roses to each of the outer compartments. An iron scrollwork ventilation grille runs around the perimeter; plain compartmented borders.

The Deacons' enclosure is rectangular and has a panelled dado with open arcaded upper section; turned balusters with geometric finials to the ends. The Set Fawr has a central projecting pulpit with arcaded balustrade flanking to R and L. Flanking steps lead up with balustrade as before and geometric finials. The pulpit has a 2-panel sunk front with segmental arches supported on engaged columns with waterleaf capitals. Large arched niche behind Set Fawr, with decorative painting and painted Welsh inscription. Flanking pilasters with partly-gilded acanthus capitals; painted scrollwork in the spandrels. This is surmounted by a moulded cornice with very shallow pediment. Four-panel grained doors flank the Set Fawr and give access to the schoolroom and vestry beyond.

The rectangular schoolroom has canted ends to the ceiling and plain boarded dado; pine pews and stage platform.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as an imposing late C19 village chapel retaining good original character as part of a chapel and manse group.

Group value with the adjoining manse and Chapel Row terrace.

External Links

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.