- Nprn: 6796
- Cadw Ref: 43/B/20(7
- Cadw Record No: 15364
- Summary: Capel Seion was built in 1895, but in the twentieth century its congregation amalgamated with the English Marine Calvinist Methodists and the Welsh Calvinist Methodist Capel Mawr, and the site was re-named Capel Y Traeth. It is Classical in style, with a smooth rendered gable end façade, with render and terracotta dressings. The side and rear elevations are roughcast. The roof is of slate with red ridge crest tiles. The front façade has two storeys and six bays, with narrow round-arched windows. A central porch occupies three bays, with a wider gable carried on cast iron columns. The side bays each have paired round arched windows, while the upper storey has four round arched windows with sidelights, below a single impost band.A parapret with a terracotta ballustrade surrounds the outer bays.
Inside the chapel is a horseshoe gallery mounted upon cast iron columns, with decorative wooden panels. There is an organ gallery to the north east of the chapel. Below the box pews are similarly arranged in a horseshoe shape with two aisles. The pulpit and set fawr are highly decorated. Above is an enriched plaster ceiling with central rosettes in a panel of fretted woodwork, surrounded by further panels and rosettes.
Source: Cadw Listed Building Record
RCAHMW Inventory Documents
K Steele, RCAHMW, 20 February 2009 - Description: Founded 1889 & built 1895 in Classical style, gable entry type (in the style of Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadog?) Status (1997): in chapel use.
Formerly known as Capel Seion; in later C20 the English Marine CM chapel and the Welsh CM Capel Mawr have amalgamated with Capel Seion to form Capel y Traeth.
Summary: a chapel in the style of Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadog and directly comparable with his Capel Hyfrydle, Holyhead (1887-88), and with Plough Chapel, Brecon, whose remodelling is also said to be to his design (verbal information from the Minister, 1994, via Vernon Hughes). Cement render to presumably stone-built chapel. Painted render pedimental gable front with spar-panel pilaster strips, and patterned terracotta tiles to front gables of porch and lobbies and to centre top gable: an application of the ideas of e.g., R. Norman Shaw and of Nesfield's Kinmel Park to chapel design? Centre entry to porch with entries to lobbies in its inner side walls. Gallery. Pulpit against rear gable. Box pews downstairs, arranged in centre block of paired pews and main side blocks of single pews, the latter "circular pews" as described in legal agreement of May 1896 for Owen Morris Roberts's Capel Moreia, Llangefni, where the circularly-arranged side pews are directly comparable. Ornate ceiling, also similar to Capel Moreia, Llangefni (1896-98), and to Morfa Nefyn C.M. chapel. Gallery front round 4 sides, the gallery front comparable, for instance, with O.M. Roberts's designs at Capel Moreia and Capel Hyfrydle (see above). Rear vestry with schoolroom to rear again; later kitchen on S..
History and development: founded 1895 (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other religious bodies). The chapel, however, was built in 1895, following a secession from Capel Mawr in 1887-88, led by the father of Margaret Owen (wife of David Lloyd George; information from Cadw list description, based on W.R.P. George, The making of Lloyd George (1976) and Capel, Local information sheet, No. 8).
Accommodation: in 1905, seating accommodation for 611 in chapel and for 200 in schoolroom (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other religious bodies).
Front elevation: pale-grey stucco, lined as if for ashlar, with inset pebbldash panels - "dashed with light crushed spar", as stipulated by Richard Davies in his 1898 specification for Capel Peniel, Porth Amlwch?. White-painted timber-framed windows. 4-bay centre front under pedimental gable; this is set back from narrow end bays with spar-panelled pilaster strips and crowning balustraded parapets of terracotta. In the 2-storey end bays, a narrow semi-circular headed window opening at upper and lower levels: each with white-painted pilasters, moulded head and keyblock: white-painted frame to 8-pane window under 2 small top quadrant panes, with margin panes. White-painted coved cornice above pilasters and below crowning balustraded parapet, which has end blocks with terracotta finials, flanking arcaded balustrading of terracotta. Upper windows with cill band continuing over the 4-bay centre. Here the semi-circular gallery windows are similar but wider, with triple keyblocks, and linked by an impost string. Below the centre windows are the triple gables to the entrance lobbies and centre, 2-bay open porch, the latter with white-painted and moulded frame to triangular spar panel inset with terracotta-tile quatrefoil. The centre gable is supported by end and centre iron columns with attached iron brackets, similar to those supporting the gallery front (see below, under Gallery). The end gables have white-painted frames to triangular terracotta tile panels; below the end gables, spar-panel pilaster strips frame 2 smaller conjoined semi-circular windows: 8 panes, under 2 top quadrant panes and with margin panes; projecting cills. Coved cornice to centre top gable: this last has white-painted frame, lower spar panel inset with 3-bay round-arched blind arcading and upper triangular panel inset with terracotta tiles; terracotta finial.
Full-width slate step at entrance to external porch which has patterned red-tile floor with black border, the patterning of e.g., squares and lozenges in gold and black tiles. Grey-painted rear and side porch walls; white ceiling. Two 2-pane oblong windows with margin panes in rear wall of porch; chapel entrances in inner side walls: each with 2 doors of 3 moulded panels with square top and bottom panels and round brass handles.
Chapel forecourt walls, railings and gates: forecourt with NW. flower bed, otherwise of concrete. 2 slate steps down to the front gate and railings which enclose the chapel from Penpaled Road. The rendered walls comprise narrow bays of rendered walling with moulded caps and pyramidal coping, alternating with bays of lower walling beneath arcaded and white-painted railings with square uprights and fancy, spear-headed finials. Wall pier at S. end. Gate piers at N. end, all with 3 similar caps and pyramidal coping, and the front faces of the gate piers inset with a vertical spar panel with rounded top. White-painted iron gate, contemporary and similar to the railings: above the lock rail, square arcaded uprights and finials as to railings; below the lock rail, saltire-braced circles flnaked by narrow, 2-tier, openwork panels.
Side elevations: 2-storey and 5-bay NW. and SE. side elevations: cement rendered. 12-pane sash windows with horns, infilled with obscured glass, and the gallery windows additionally with 3 panes in a semi-circular head; slate projecting cills; wall vents between windows. Shallowly projecting and boarded eaves. The front elevation pilaster strips return at SW. end of each side elevation. Slate roof with red tile ridge.
Vestry and schoolroom : narrower vestry built against part of NE. gable of chapel. The hipped-roofed schoolroom is wrapped around the vestry; kitchen on SW..
NW. vestry elevation: set back from NW. side of chapel. It has cement render cladding, slate roof with red tile ridge and red brick stack. 12-pane sash window to l.h. of stop-chamfer doorway, with painted and grained and wooden-boarded door, and frosted-glass overlight.
Low outbuilding wing projects NW. from schoolroom: cement render wall, slate roof with red tile ridge; red-painted and wooden-boarded half doors on l.h. and porch entrance to schoolroom on r.h..
Interior: Entrance lobbies and gallery stairs: entrance lobbies with tile floors and plaster walls, part blue-painted and partly untreated (as at 6/97). Rear faces of external doors are painted and grained and of 3 stop-chamfer panels each, with brass handles. Obscured glass in front windows. Flat plaster ceiling with moulded cornice. 2 doors, each of 3 panels, and with brass handles at ground-floor entrances to chapel interior. Timber gallery staircases, each with lower flight of 5 steps below a turn, the steps with rubber treads, and pine turned balusters below a moulded handrail; large turned newel with pine cap and ball finial. Upper flight of 13 steps rising through matchboarded enclosure; gallery door at foot of upper flight: door of 2 moulded panels, 6 panels in all; reeded rail and muntin strips.
Chapel interior: ground-floor auditorium with wooden-boarded floor, powder-blue carpeted aisles. Matchboarded dado, with scalloped moulding below top cornice, along much of side walls and behind main side blocks of seats. Blue-painted walls, lined as if for ashlar. Flat-headed ground-floor window openings with brown-stained angle beads, raked cills of brown-stained matchboarding; white-painted splayed reveals, lined as if for ashlar; flat, white-painted plaster heads; white-painted window frames and glazing bars. Small-pane cupboard door of obscured glass in front of rear window along side walls, beneath upper flights of gallery stairs. Wall vents, 4 each side with clasped fist handles. 2 windows in rear wall, at back of porch and between entrance lobbies (see above, under Front elevation). At NE. end, to each side of pulpit, a pine door of 6 vertical panels in 2 tiers with reeded architraves and reeded strips in rails and muntins.
In gallery: wooden-boarded aisles. Matchboarded dado and wall cladding as to ground floor. The semi-circular headed windows on NW. and SE. sides of gallery have brown-stained angle beads to impost height and are white-painted above; moulded window arches on corbel blocks, the window heads set below ceiling conice level; 4 wall vents each side. The ceiling cornice is at impost level of the narrower SW. gallery windows, which lack moulded window heads and corbel blocks. Behind the present organ pipes, are 3 masked semi-circular headed openings, the caps ornamented with egg and dart moulding and acanthus leaves, above fluted shafts.
Ceiling: white-moulded ceiling cornice; white-plaster cove, rising to large and complexly panelled ceiling: 1): at NE. and SW. ends, 3 white-plaster panels, enclosed by white-plaster ribs with waterleaf and dart edging; each outer panel inset with circular white fibrous-plaster rose; centre panel inset with circular open-fret timber vent with wooden pendant; 2): frame of inner margin panels: 2a): 4 square corner panels of open fret tongue-and -groove boarding, with centre octagonal and obelisk pendant; 2b): intermediate pairs of oblong panels of tongue and groove boarding, laid diagonally; 3): large inner square of fibrous plaster, with waterleaf and dart edging: corner spandrels, circular frame of 12 round plaster roses; at centre, a circular, timber and open-fret vent with pendant, fringed by guilloche and rinceau borders.
Lighting: early-C20 electroliers depend from ceiling: 2 large lights in middle over ground-floor auditorium, and 5 smaller electroliers in gallery: 2 to each side and 1 at SW. end.
Gallery: gallery round 3 sides of the chapel, with gallery front also round 4th side, below organ pipes. Gallery beam on NW., SW., and SE. is supported by fluted and blue-painted iron columns with caps with helices and foliage; 2 columns on both NW. and SE. and 3 on SW.. The column shafts are stamped: "Isaac/ Maker/ Portmadoc". Attached iron brackets support the cantilevered gallery front with panelled soffit, the panels stop-chamfered and diagonally boarded.
Timber gallery front in style of Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadog: made up of wide panelled bays alternating with projecting aedicules: 4 panelled bays and 4 aedicules to each of NW. and SE. sides, 2 wide panels round each SW. intersection, 1 panel at SW. end, inset with gallery clock. At NE. end, centre aedicule with flanking panelled bay, the centre aedicule partly concealed by wood memorial plaque to The Reverend Edwin Parry, Minister from 1947-1975. Each panelled bay of the gallery front is 2-tiered: a wide and moulded horizontal panel below an upper strip of small square panels, viz.: open fret panels alternating with flower heads in carved relief & separated by reeded muntin strips. The aedicules are framed by pilasters with bracket caps under 6-petal flower heads, and comprise a lower panel with carved relief of a 6-petal flower head below a panel strip carved with a semi-circular 5-petal flower.
Ground-floor seating: box pews with stop-chamfered framework of pine; horizontal-panel pew backs, the panels infilled with vertical matchboarding; shaped and chamfered bench ends with circular tops bearing gilded pew numbers on a red "shadow" or ground; single, vertical-panel stop-chamfer doors with three-quarter top beading. Arranged in 1): a centre block of paired pews, narrowing into 1b) at the back; 2): 2 side blocks of single pews; 3): at the front of the 2 side blocks, are 2 small blocks of pews at right angles, facing on to the sides of the pulpit. 1): the paired pews in the centre block face forward, with pew backs of 2-panel width; there are 11 pews and front seat each side in the main front block, and 4 narrower pews each side at the back, between the entrance lobbies. 1a):the SE. pews in the main centre block are numbered: 23 (r.) to 32 (fr.), with a seat numbered 33 at front; the NW. pews are numbered 37 to 46 (r.), with a seat numbered 36 at the front. Remains of oil or gas lamp standard behind 32 and 27 and behind 37 and 42. Front seats, 36 and 33, have been altered and cut away in middle to make way for organist's seat with its pine-framed enclosure with blue curtains hanging from brass rails. 1b): 4 paired and narrower pews at the back of the main centre block, with outer aisles and set between the entrance lobbies; numbered 19 (r.) to 22 on SE and 47 (fr.) to 50 on NW; bases of standards for lamps at back of pews 23 and 48. 2): side blocks of single pews have 3-panel seat backs and are narrower at the rear of the block; they also face forward, but are arranged increasingly "circularly" towards the front. The NW. side block is numbered 51 (r.) to 62 (fr.), and the SE. side block numbered 7 (fr.) to 18 (r.); 3): the 2 small side blocks of pews at the front or NE. end of the main side blocks comprise a): a block of single pews numbered 1 (fr.) to 3 on SE. side of chapel and 65 (r.) to 68 on NW. side; b) a block of single pews numbered 4 (r.) to 6 on SE. side and 63 (fr.) to 65 on NW.; pews 6 and 63 are longer and curved, but all 3 pews in this small 2nd block merge on common curves with the front 2 pews of the main side blocks, viz.: 7 & 8 on SE., and 61 & 62 on NW..
Sedd Fawr enclosure and pulpit: 1 step up each side to red-pink carpeted Sedd Fawr enclosure which is curved at front angles. Faced externally with panelling: a) moulded pine panelling below Sedd Fawr floor level; b) stop-chamfer vertical panels with curved corners; reeded muntins; c): small square top panels: open fret panels alternating with carved reliefs; d): mahogany? Handrail. Centre-front projection of 2-panel width, its upper panels more elaborately carved. Square newels of varnished pine, with ornamented ball finials, flank Sedd Fawr entrances. The Sedd Fawr bench seats have a buttoned and purple-upholstered back and flat-cushioned seat.
Pulpit stairs: 5 steps up each side to pulpit platform, with flanking slender turned balusters; front bottom newels comprise a thick turned column with square base and a square chamfered cap under ball finial; top rear newels as at Sedd Fawr entrances; top front newels faced with narrow and round-headed vertical-panel strip; the base of the newel is a continuation of the mid pulpit string amd its moulded top cornice a continuation of the crowning pulpit cornice. Pulpit platform with curved front: below mid string, this is faced with moulded and vertical oblong panels, 2 to each curved side and 2 narrower panels at centre front; above the mid string, vertical oblong panels in carved relief, beneath a closed and balustraded parapet strip; crowning moulded cornice. The carved reliefs in the curved sides represent a lily and a plant with flower head; the 2 centre-front panels are taller (no balustrading) and contain carved reliefs of plants in gadrooned vases; the centre front is framed by pilasters with bracket caps beneath large and carved projecting brackets below lectern. Integral sofa seat at rear of pulpit with buttoned purple seat and back.
2 chairs in Sedd Fawr enclosure - to O.M. Roberts's design? Pine Communion table with turned legs.
Gallery seating: pine lateral benches against matchboarded dado along lateral walls; low turned balusters in front of windows. Gallery seating in form of open-bench seats, the seat backs of vertical matchboarding in stop-chamfer frames; three-quarter top beads of hardwood; seat dividers faced with horizontal boards and ramped down from seat to seat in straight diagonal lines; shaped seat ends of pine with rounded tops, the last bearing gilded seat numbers on vermillion shadowing. Each side from pulpit end: 1) a block of paired seats, 2 deep, with central seat divider and brass base for lamp on SW. end of front seats. On SE. side of chapel, numbered 1 (fr.) and 2 on NE. side of block and 3 and 4 on SW..; on NW side of chapel, numbered 43 (r.) and 44 on NE. side of block and and 41 & 42 on SW.; 2): as 1); on SE. side of chapel, NE. pews numbered 5 & 6 and SW. pews numbered 7 & 8, with brass base for lamp at SW. end of 8; on NW. side of chapel, NE. pews numbered 39 & 40 and SW. pews numbered 37 (fr.) and 38, with brass lamp base at SW. end of 37; 3) round gallery intersection, curved block of seats, fanning out in width towards rear. On SE. side, NE. seats numbered 9 (fr.) and 10, and SW. seats numbered 15 and 16 (fr.). On NW. side of chapel, NE. seats numbered 35 & 36 (fr.) and SW. seats numbered 29 (fr.) and 30 (r.).
Curved aisle behind 3), from top of gallery staircase. 4): behind curved aisle and 3): 4 seats ranged beside and behind gallery stairs: on each side of chapel, the front seat right-angled, the 2nd seat narrow with a lamp base on the end of it, and the 3rd and 4th seats wider, continuing behind the gallery stairs. On SE. side of chapel this block is numbered from 11 at the rear to 14 at the front; on NW. side, this block is numbered 31 (fr.) to 34 (r.). 5): at centre back of gallery, a block of paired seats, 2 deep, and fanning out in width towards the rear, the SE. seats numbered 17-18 and the NW. seats 27 (r.)-28; 6): a further block of 4 paired seats behind 5), again wider towards the rear: the SE. seats numbered 19 (r.) to 22 and the NE. seats numbered 23 (r.) to 26.
Musical instruments: mid-C20 2-manual organ, rebuilt by Peter Wood & Son from Capel Mawr's organ: oak frame, convex moulded keyboard cover; brass-railed and blue-curtained enclosure for organist's seat. Above the NE. gallery front: a timber cove beneath a wide, 5-bay and timber-framed case of grey-metal organ pipes: each end bay of 9 pipes, intermediate bays of 15 wider pipes and, at centre, a projecting bay of 7 pipes.
Electronic organ beside pipe organ console, on its NW.: Viscount electronic organ, "Presented by the English members". On other side of pipe organ console, an upright piano, bearing the label: "Challen".
Wall memorials: 1): above l.h. pulpit stair, brass memorial tablet with black waxed lettering, in memory of The Reverend J. Owen (1849-1917), Minister for over 40 years of the Criccieth Calvinistic Methodist churches; 2): against centre of NE. gallery front, wood memorial plaque to The Reverend Edwin Parry, Minister from 1947-1975; 3): above r.h. pulpit stairs, memorial to Richard Owen (1824-1903), Deacon for over 40 years. On SE. wall, 4) bronze tablet in an oak frame, with white-painted inscription, in commemoration of the 2nd World War dead of Capel Mawr and the related installation of the organ; 5): brass tablet with black-waxed lettering in memory of Arthur Davies, Elder for 37 years; 6): brass plaque with black waxed lettering: 1st & 2nd World War Memorial for Capel Seion. On NW. wall, from NE. end, 7): Capel Mawr's 1st World War Memorial: pilastered tablet of white marble with entablature and gilded lettering; 8) brass tablet with black waxed lettering, in memory of Margaret Owen, Gwindy (1839-1915); 9): white-veined memorial to Jane Owen, Plas Gwilym (1813-1895); 10) memorial to Elen Jones of Gwindy (1840-1915); 11): memorial to Mary Owen of Llys Owen (1827-1907).
Interior: Vestry and schoolroom wings: the door on NW. of the pulpit opens on to the vestry, a narrow, lofty room with cream-painted walls, lined as if for ashlar, picture rail and white-painted ceiling. In NE. wall, 2 doors to schoolroom, each door of 3 wooden-boarded panels; matchboarded dado in middle, inset with black-painted fireplace; 2-tier cupboard to r.h.. In SE. wall, a 4-panel door with reeded rail and muntin strips opening on to kitchen; coat hooks on wood rail beside it. A very large glazed bookcase-cum-cupboard along the SW. wall and, to N. of it, door to chapel (see above). In NW. wall, door and window facing on to external yard (see above: Exterior: Vestry and schoolroom). Vestry furnished with a table, Windsor-back chairs and early-C20 bentwood chairs.
Schoolroom on NE. of vestry has wooden-boarded floor, matchboarded dado and yellow-painted walls, lined as if for ashlar; picture rail. 4-bay ceiling with very shallow sloping sides and broad flat centre strip; exposed wood trusses with iron ties; square open fret vent in centre. Boarded dais up 2 steps on SE.. Seating: iron-framed wood bench seats, e.g., 2 on SW., 1 on dais, 3 on NE.. 2 wood bench seats. Black fireplace and grate on NE.. Doorways in SW. wall, e.g., wide doorway from vestry (see above).
Kitchen: matchboarded dado, blue-grey painted walls; picture rail at doorhead level; lit e.g., by paired sash in SE. end wall; stairs down from kitchen with square balusters.
OMJ. 16/6-8/97. Visited 13/6/97.
INFO TRANSFERRED FROM CORE:
PHOTO CAT NO:
8463
10962
CAT ACCESS NO:
NA/CA/97/011
NA/GEN/98/005
NA/ME/98/010e
NA/GEN/98/033e
LAST EDIT DATE : 2001.10.09/RCAHMW/SLE - Built: 1895 Source:Cadw
- Founded: 1895 Source:RCCEORBWM
- Founded: 1889 Source:Cadw
- Date Of Chapel: 1895 Source:
- £ 2903: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 611: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- 200: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- Chapel: 13/06/1997 (Site visit)
- Chapel: 2010 (Denominational Yearbook)
- Materials
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Style: Classical
- Plan: Gable Entry
Key Details of this Chapel
Key Dates of this Chapel
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: SH50133807
- Address: PENPALED ROAD, CRICCIETH
2 thoughts on “Y TRAETH CHAPEL (CALVINISTIC METHODIST;SEION), PENPALED ROAD, CRICCIETH (SEION)”
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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