History

Gorffwysfa Chapel was built in 1880 as the third of the Calvinistic-Methodist chapels in Penrhyndeudraeth; the mother chapel was Nazareth, founded in 1770.

Exterior

Medium-sized galleried chapel in eclectic Victorian Renaissance style. Of rubble construction with slate roof, the facade of snecked, quarry dressed blocks with yellow sandstone dressings. Symmetrical showpiece facade of three bays; the central, entrance bay is advanced and pedimented, the flanking bays have moulded cornice and surmounting balusrade with turned balusters. Central entrance with fluted brackets on plain pilasters carrying an entablature with moulded cornice and shallow surmounting pediment; 6-panel double doors with 3-pane plain overlight. Flanking the entrance are two narrow vertical slit lights; corbel course above. Three arched windows to the upper level, above the entrance, that to the centre larger and the whole flanked by Composite pilasters; moulded archivolts and scrolled keys; blind horizontal panel above. The outer bays have tall, continuous lights which rise through both floors; these are arched as before at the top and have narrow lozenge-decorated panels defining the floors and dividing the arched upper window sections from plain 5-pane, rectangular lower windows. Corbelled cills and moulded stringcourse at the springing of the arches. This facade is continued around for one bay onto the sides, which are similar to the outer bays.

Stuccoed 3-bay side elevations, beyond the returned bays of the facade, with stringcourse continued across arched upper windows with scrolled keys; 12-pane recessed sashes to the ground floor. Adjoining to the rear is a rectangular pitched-roofed hall, its gable end flush with the chapel''''s W elevation and projecting one bay to the E, thereby forming an L-plan with chapel. Narrow arched windows to the W end flanking a larger blind-arched recess. Boarded entrance to the N elevation of the projecting eastern side.

Enclosing a metalled forecourt to the front, and continuing S along the lane to the chapel''''s R, are low stone walls with chamfered sandstone copings and plain surmounting railings; plain entrance piers with octagonal shaped cappings to the front and R.

Interior

Rectangular internal lobby with decorative tiled pavement and 8-pane stained and enamelled glass window; entrances to L and R into chapel, with gallery steps beyond. Galleried chapel interior of conventional form and unaltered; pine joinery throughout. Raked box pews towards the deacon''''s enclosure, with vertical boarded dado around the sides. The gallery is carried on 8 cast iron slender columns with simple leaf capitals. Bracketted soffit and moulded, panelled gallery front. The deacon''''s enclosure has a fixed defining screen with panelled lower and turned baluster upper section; turned posts to corners with ball finials. The Sett Fawr is recessed into a large shallow niche with round arch having decorative keystone and acanthus imposts. Tripartite pulpit with railed steps leading up on either side; sunk, pierced panels to the front, with moulded base and brackets flanking the central projecting part. The ceiling is divided into 12 compartments with simple moulded ribbing and console supports at the wall; 2 pierced vent roses and 2 plasterwork roses.

The schoolroom to the rear of the chapel has a 3-bay canted ceiling and parquet floor; simple boarded dado; 4-panel Victorian doors.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a late C19 town chapel with well-composed classical facade, retaining good unaltered internal and external character.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29503720

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)