- Nprn: 6434
- Cadw Ref: 24/A/2(1)
- Cadw Record No: 11887
- Summary: Calfaria Baptist Sunday School was built in 1881 and the Chapel built alongside in 1888. The building is Lombardic/Italian in style with a gable entry plan and was designed by architect George Morgan of Carmarthen. The chapel was still in use in 1998 but by 2006 was disused. The building is Grade 2 listed.
RCAHMW, June 2009
Calfaria Baptist Chapel, 1887
George Morgan of Carmarthen, a professional architect, was the most influential designer of chapels for the Baptists in south Wales. At Calfaria are two chapels side by side (both designed by Morgan). This was a common arrangement where the first modest chapel was replaced by something larger and more elaborate when the congregation grew and could afford it, the first building becoming a Sunday School. This happened very rapidly at Calfaria with the first simple red-brick chapel completed in 1881 and the second built only six years later. This was constructed in Morgan's influential `Lombardic' style, derived from north Italian Romanesque architecture of the twelth-century but here used in a Spartan and economic version compared to Morgan's earlier Lombardic Baptist chapels elsewhere: Abergavenny (1877); Haverfordwest (1878); Port Talbot (1880) and Morriston (1884). The two Lombardic features drawn from earlier chapels are the stepped-eaves of the gable and the group of diminishing arches around the attic ventilator in the apex of the gable. The group of circular lights around the head of the central window had recently been used by three architects of the Independent denomination: Humphrey, Freeman and Thomas and is derived from Palladio's sixteen-century Villa Poina in northern Italy. The flanking first-floor windows have simple Florentine tracery and the ground-floor staircase lights are given economic interest by the simple device of stepping them up from the two central doors. This play of elements using a minimum of expensive cut-stone livens-up what is otherwise a very austere exterior especially on the sides where the mass-walling of Pennant sandstone is unrelieved except for simple paired-windows.
Calfaria Interior
The warm woodwork of a Welsh chapel interior, such as this, always surprises after the often rather austere exterior of many such buildings. As befits a chapel of The Word of God the pulpit dominates from a central position and as with nearly all post -1859 Revival chapels this does not have a single-person tub pulpit, as found in churches and earlier chapels, but a platform pulpit where speakers could ascend from one side and descend the other with room for at least three people on the elevated ornate stage. This was ideal for the Cymanfaoedd Canu, Eisteddfodau and preaching festivals that were such a strong feature of Welsh later nineteenth-century community life. A distinctive feature of Welsh Chapels was the Deacons' Great Seat or Sêt Fawr, where the Chapel Deacons would stand facing the audience during hymns, enhancing the authority of the preacher. Such features are not generally found in other areas of Britain except for some Cornish Chapels. In Baptist Chapels the total immersion adult Baptism tank is usually located beneath large trap-doors in this location in front of the pulpit. This chapel end, opposite the entrance, was then upwardly enhanced by the addition of a hugh organ with its ornate and decorated pipes rising towards the ceiling, and as often happened this blocks a window, in this case a large wheel window which was generally one of the glories of Morgan's Lombardic Chapels. The chapel had a larger than average seating capacity of 870 noted in 1905 with a large Sunday School provision of 500 places.
Stephen R. Hughes, RCAHMW, 06.09.2007 - Description: Church formed & Sunday School built 1881. Chapel built 1887-8 in Romanesque style, gable entry type, to the design of George Morgan & Son of Carmarthen (cost £2210). Vestry added/modified 1892. Building is listed Grade 2. Status (1998): in chapel use. 2006 : Disused
Chapel no longer in regular use. Congregation meets in schoolroom on Sunday afternoons only. Elim (who lost their building in the town redevelopment) hold services on Sunday mornings and evenings. Front boundary wall and railings demolished for safety reasons: discussions with Cadw: condition of chapel and organ deteriorating rapidly (information of 20/07/1998 from Mr Gareth Watts).
Calfaria Baptist Chapel, 1887
George Morgan of Carmarthen, a professional architect, was the most influential designer of chapels for the Baptists in south Wales. At Calfaria are two chapels side by side (both designed by Morgan). This was a common arrangement where the first modest chapel was replaced by something larger and more elaborate when the congregation grew and could afford it, the first building becoming a Sunday School. This happened very rapidly at Calfaria with the first simple red-brick chapel completed in 1881 and the second built only six years later. This was constructed in Morgan's influential `Lombardic' style, derived from north Italian Romanesque architecture of the twelth-century but here used in a Spartan and economic version compared to Morgan's earlier Lombardic Baptist chapels elsewhere: Abergavenny (1877); Haverfordwest (1878); Port Talbot (1880) and Morriston (1884). The two Lombardic features drawn from earlier chapels are the stepped-eaves of the gable and the group of diminishing arches around the attic ventilator in the apex of the gable. The group of circular lights around the head of the central window had recently been used by three architects of the Independent denomination: Humphrey, Freeman and Thomas and is derived from Palladio's sixteen-century Villa Poina in northern Italy. The flanking first-floor windows have simple Florentine tracery and the ground-floor staircase lights are given economic interest by the simple device of stepping them up from the two central doors. This play of elements using a minimum of expensive cut-stone livens-up what is otherwise a very austere exterior especially on the sides where the mass-walling of Pennant sandstone is unrelieved except for simple paired-windows.
Calfaria Interior
The warm woodwork of a Welsh chapel interior, such as this, always surprises after the often rather austere exterior of many such buildings. As befits a chapel of The Word of God the pulpit dominates from a central position and as with nearly all post -1859 Revival chapels this does not have a single-person tub pulpit, as found in churches and earlier chapels, but a platform pulpit where speakers could ascend from one side and descend the other with room for at least three people on the elevated ornate stage. This was ideal for the Cymanfaoedd Canu, Eisteddfodau and preaching festivals that were such a strong feature of Welsh later nineteenth-century community life. A distinctive feature of Welsh Chapels was the Deacons' Great Seat or Sêt Fawr, where the Chapel Deacons would stand facing the audience during hymns, enhancing the authority of the preacher. Such features are not generally found in other areas of Britain except for some Cornish Chapels. In Baptist Chapels the total immersion adult Baptism tank is usually located beneath large trap-doors in this location in front of the pulpit. This chapel end, opposite the entrance, was then upwardly enhanced by the addition of a hugh organ with its ornate and decorated pipes rising towards the ceiling, and as often happened this blocks a window, in this case a large wheel window which was generally one of the glories of Morgan's Lombardic Chapels. The chapel had a larger than average seating capacity of 870 noted in 1905 with a large Sunday School provision of 500 places.
Entry by Stephen R. Hughes 06.09.2007 using the following main sources: the Capel Newsletter 34 (Autumn 1999), Capel Local Information Sheet 16 on Llanelli; T. Lloyd, J. Orbach & R. Scourfield, The Buildings of Wales, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion (Yale, New Haven & The Buildings of Wales) 2006 & chapels on The Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales database at www.coflein.gov.uk & Royal Commission on the Church of England and other Religious Bodies in Wales and Monmouthshire, Volume VI, Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence Nonconformist County Statistics 1911, Carmarthenshire (collected 1905), (London, HMSO) 1911, p.82 & Stephen Hughes, 'Thomas Thomas, 1817-88: the first national architect of Wales', Archaeologia Cambrensis 152 (2003), pp. 69-166. - Built: 1887-1888 Source:Cadw
- Built: 05/07/1888 Source:Llanelly Guardian
- Built: 1887 Source:Orbach, Julian
- Dated: 1881 Source:Watts, Gareth
- Built: 05/07/1888 Source:Llanelly Guardian
- Church Formed: 1881 Source:Llawlyfr 1998
- Date Of Chapel: 1887 Source:
- Sunday School Built: 1881 Source:Cadw
- Architect: 1887-1888 George Morgan, Carmarthen
- Architect: 1881 George Morgan, Carmarthen
- £ 3550: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 870: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- 500: 1905 Accomodation (RCCEORBWM)
- Chapel: 1998 (Llawlyfr)
- Disused: 2006 (Google Streetview)
- Welsh: 20/07/1998 (Site visit - Gareth Watts)
- Materials
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Style: Lombardic
- Gallery: On three sides
- Plan: Gable Entry
- Pulpit Position: Rear wall
- Windows: 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
The Languages of the Chapel during its History
Key Characteristics of this Chapel
Images from Coflein
Map
- Grid Reference: SN51030008
- Address: ANN STREET, BIGYN ROAD, LLANELLILLANELLI
2 thoughts on “Calfaria Baptist Church, Ann St./bigyn Rd., Llanelli”
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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