- Nprn: 6251
- Cadw Ref: 21/B/28(2)
- Cadw Record No: 9713
- Summary: Graig Chapel was built in 1775 and rebuilt in 1821, 1846 and 1875. The date if the current chapel is 1875, built in the Classical style of the gable entry type.
RCAHMW, June 2009. - Description: Cause begun 1668 first chapel built 1775/6. Rebuilt 1821 & again 1875 in Classical style, gable entry type. SEE LONG TEXT. Status (1995): in chapel use.
Stuccoed SW. facing classical façade of three bays under a pedimental gable; centre entry. Circular marble plaque set low beneath r.h. end window and inscribed: "Y Graig /Capel y Bedyddwyr /Cychwnwyd yr achos /1668 /3ydd Adeiladwyd /1875". Tall semi-circular headed window opening of 2-lights to each side with leaded glazing and early-C20 stained glass; semi-circular headed lights with glazed circlet and spandrels in the window head. Central porch in the form of a tetrastyle Tuscan portico, with grey-painted columns on square bases on a platform of 3 stone steps, beneath a blue and white-painted pediment. To rear, a pair of panelled doors under coloured and frosted-glass overlight. Graduated triplet of windows above, with single-light outer window lights and with a two-light window in the centre, with leaded glazing and faceted keystone rising to main cornice. Grey-painted wooden pediment mouldings, the tympanum with louvred vent in blue-painted keyed oculus.
Cement-rendered side elevations with plinth, boarded projecting eaves and eaves band. Each contains three semi-circular headed window openings with grey-painted archivolts, faceted keystones and white-painted frames, the glazing as in end windows of front elevation. In rear elevation, vent in keyed oculus in moulded pedimental gable; two semi-circular headed window openings below as in side elevations.
The lower vestry adjoins the SE. elevation. The gabled and grey-painted front elevation to SW. has a colour-matched bargeboard. Two slate and yellow brick steps to centre doorway with blue-painted pilasters, entablature and pediment with white tympanum. Segmentally-headed doorway with two wooden-boarded and segmentally headed doors; vent in oculus over. An eight-pane window to each side with arched top lights and glazed spandrels; white-painted frames. Rear elevation with stone walls and slate roof, extending over side wings: small vestry? And kitchen; 4 eight-pane windows with grey-painted frames under a cambered yellow brick head. Rear chapel house garden area, partly grass and partly vegetable plot, enclosed from garage workshp and car park by later-C20 block boundary wall.
Vestibule interior: Square black, red and cream tiles laid lozenge-wise in alternate colour bands. Grey-blue painted dado to window cill height; grey horizontal strip and cream-painted walls and window reveals over. White-painted plaster ceiling, vaulted in centre. Coloured-glass window in centre of inner vestibule wall: large gold-coloured lozenge panel in centre, with crimson panes in corner and green intermediate panels; paired doors to chapel in canted sides, doors of 2 moulded panels with barley-sugar twist brass handles. Wide gallery stair minus handrail each side, each stair with 7 steps to turn, 1 step to gallery door - door of 2 tiers of 3 moulded and varnished pine panels; 12 steps above.
Chapel interior: wooden-boarded floor. Wall colouring as to vestibule. On lateral walls brass light fittings converted to electricity. Window openings with 3/4 mouldings to jambs, brown-painted flat timber cills; white-painted frames. C20 frosted glass to lateral windows. 1920s? Coloured and frosted glass to pulpit and gallery windows. Moulded white-painted ceiling cornice; white plaster ceiling divided into panels by moulded ribs. Pink and green and white-painted decorative rose with white border in centre, set within large oval panel, framed in turn by 4 detached spandrel panels plus 4 smaller decorative roses.
Varnished hybrid box pews of a late variety; bench seats with flush-panel backs; plain bench ends with shaped quadrant tops; rear book rests with communion glass holders; some with single-panel lateral doors. Paired central block of seats with 2-panel backs, 11 seats depth, including wide seat behind harmonium and 2 narrow seats beside it. Raked lateral pews face centre pews and Sedd Fawr at right angles; 2-tier flush-panel fronts. Some pews with lateral doors with metal latches. Each side from Sedd Fawr end, single block of pews of 4 pews depth on NW., of 2 pews depth on SE. because of piano (Steinbach) and door to vestry. 2ndly and 3rdly each side, 2 paired blocks of pews with 2 flush-panel backs. 4thly, each side by entrance doors, single block of pews of 3 pews depth, the front pew with 2-panel seat back and the other 2 with narrow single-panel seat backs.
2-tier curved Sedd Fawr enclosure faced externally with mahogany? Panelling: moulded panels below and fretwork above. Bench seat with panelled back and blue carpet strip cover. Probably C19 mahogany? Table with turned legs; C19 wood-framed and blue-upholstered Minister's chair with scroll arms and curved back. Rectangular and panelled pulpit projection of ?mahogany; 2 tiers of lower moulded panelling below middle pulpit string; above, single-arched panels to sides and to rebated angles with acroteria at the base of the latter; diagonal panelling in centre. Curving flights of pulpit stairs - 7 to each side - with turned ?mahogany balustrades. C19 chair in pulpit, as in Sedd Fawr. 2-panel back to pulpit dais with mahogany-framed aedicule over: narrow faceted panel pilasters with paired bracket caps below moulded cornice with large scrolled overthrow, enclosing semi-circular gilded panel on white ground.
3-sided gallery front, curved at intersections. Gallery beam with pine soffit and decorative plaster band to front face, supported by grey-painted columns with white and gold caps with chevron band below. Gallery front faced with arched and moulded pine panels, moulded cornice. Integral circular clock with "John James Newcastle Emlyn" on clock-face; casing with carved spandrels. Raked gallery seating. Each side from Sedd Fawr end, single block of seats of 3 seats depth and 3-panel backs on NW. (replaced by organ on SE.). 2ndly, paired block of pews of 2 pews depth (3-panel seat backs) with bench seat at rear. 3rdly, paired block of pews, varying widths, extending and curved to rear of gallery intersection. At end of gallery, paired block of seats of 2 seats depth with 4-panel backs. Also at rear, pew with 4-panel seat back behind gallery stairs with seat with 2-panel back in front.
Single-manual organ in NE. corner of gallery; small organ plate marked: "Cadnorth London SW3"
Registration (l.h.): Melodic bass 16', Pedal bourdon 16', Tremolo, Diapason 8', Dulciana, Stopt. Diapason, Bass, Stopt. Diapason, Treble, Principal, Fifteeth, Great to pedal. Front of organ case with 2 vertical panels each side and 2 shorter ones above keyboard; gold-painted pipes in 3 bays, ornamented with silver, red and blue bands.
Vestry interior: cream-painted plaster walls; white-painted ceiling with sloping sides and 3 "collar" trusses. Late-C19 or early-C20 matchboarded lobby projects into vestry; embattled cornice; lobby floor of red, black and gold tiles; 2 doors to vestry with upper panels of leaded and coloured glass. Windows with splayed reveals and flat timber cills. Doors in canted NE.angles to kitchen and small vestry; central NE recess in between with 3-sided bench seat. Small pulpit of similar wood and panelling as main pulpit. Circular clock on wall beside pulpit with inscription: "Thomas Knight /Bristol". Carved oak chair beside pulpit given in 1932. Iron bench seats stamped "Geo. M. Palmer London Patent" arranged in 3 groups of 4. Kitchen and small vestry with matchboarded dado and panelled cupboard; kitchen with pilastered fireplace surround.
Chapel forecourt of concrete with grassed area with yew bush to each side, bounded on NW. by rendered wall beside path along chapel house and, on SE., by C19 stone rubble wall and by flank of adjoining house. Along Water Street, dwarf wall, railings and gates. Silver-painted square iron gate piers with tiered caps flank massive silver-painted iron gates; circular uprights with arrow-headed finials above lock rail; spiked and scroll finials alternating with larger arrow-headed finials above top rail. Centre and end stanchions with turned finials; scroll overthrow and lamp bracket; lamp with downward tapering glass sides, 3 of them with the lettering: "Y Graig /Addoldy'r /Beddyddwyr". To each side of gates, stone dwarf wall and grey-painted coping; 2 bays of railings with finials as to above top rail of gates. Large anthemion at either end, placed above gate pier on NW., and on SE. above quadrant walling.
Hengoed is the adjacent chapel house on NW., part of a 2-storey semi-detached house pair with Bryn Stores. Hengoed has grey-painted stucco walling; half-hipped slate roof with red tile ridge and yellow end stacks. 1st-floor windows with labels. On ground floor, flat-roofed verandah has chamfered wood posts with wood Gothic spandrels; 5-panel door with leaded and stained-glass overlight to l.h.; canted bay to r.h. with sash windows with horns and shaped heads. 2 1st-floor sash windows with horns. Iron side gate. Rear wings.
OMJ
15/12/95 & 27/2/96
Visited 15/12/96 by kind permission of the Minister, The Reverend J. Neville James (Penlon-las, Pontweli, Llandysul, Dyfed SA44 4RX).
NMR Investigator photos: 960030/21-24,26-29,31 - Built: 1875 Source:Cadw
- Cause Established: 1668 Source:Plaque
- Cause: 1775 Source:Horsfall-Turner
- Patterned Stained Glass: 1920A Source:Cadw
- 3rd Rebuilding: 1875 Source:Plaque
- Rebuilt: 1821 Source:
- Rebuilt: 1846 Source:BOW
- Date Of Chapel: 1875 Source:
- Built: 1775 Source:
- Architect: 1846 Davies,
- £ 2000: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 500: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- 150: 1905 Accomodation (RCCEORBWM)
- Chapel: 1995 (Site visit - O M Jenkins)
- Chapel: 2011 (Baptist Union Website)
- Materials
- Rendered
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Style: Classical
- Plan: Gable Entry
- Window Glazing: Florentine Tracery
- Windows: Tall Round-Headed
Key Details of this Chapel
Key Dates of this Chapel
Key People in this Chapel History
Costs during this Chapels History
Capacities during this Chapels History
Changes of Status its History
Key Characteristics of this Chapel
Images from Coflein
Map
- Grid Reference: SN30764045
- Address: WATER STREET, NEWCASTLE EMLYNNEWCASTLE EMLYN
3 thoughts on “Graig,y, Welsh Baptist Church, Water Street, Newcastle Emlyn”
Leave a Reply Cancel Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hello
My great great grandparents were married in Kinnerton Chapel in Old Radnor on 21st May1850. I have been searching for information on the Chapel, so was pleased to find this website. I have now located it on Google Street View – looks like someone is ‘doing it up’ to live in: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2612635,-3.1095337,3a,90y,232.95h,84.26t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1s-8DWPORkq2RFVNXBLde_-g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i53?hl=en-GB
The marriage record of my ancestors Abraham Bounds and Elizabeth Williams is attached. I hope it is of interest.
All the best
Saira
Dear Sara
Thank you for the information. I am glad to hear that it was some help to you.
Good luck on your continued search
Christine
Hi, my ancestors were married at this church in 1875 – William Davies and Elizabeth Jenkins. It was news to us that Williams father was called Thomas and we have been trying to trace details of him since. All we know is he was deceased when they married 13/11/1875 and that he was a farmer. Any suggestions on where I could look next? Thanks