- Nprn: 6864
- Cadw Ref: 32/29/63
- Cadw Record No: 4152
- Summary: Salem Welsh Independent Chapel was built in 1862 to the Italianate design of Rev. Thomas Thomas of Landore. In 1877-8 the chapel was modified by Richard Owen of Liverpool, and in 1890-1 it was extended and refurbished, and the turrets were added, to a design by Owen Morris Roberts of Morthmadog. H. Glanfor Thomas carried out further work on the building in 1911-2. It is Classical in style, with a snecked stone façade and pale freestone dressings. The roof is of slate behind a coped gable. The front of the chapel has five bays, including a later lean-to porch, with rusticated quoins, round columns and a keyed moulded arch. The outer bays each have a pair of two-light round-headed windows with pink granite central columns with fluted capitals. There are projecting three-stage stair towers following a rectangular plan, topped by pyramidal slate roofs. The side bays are roughcast with round-headed windows. There is a narrow gabled projection from the rear elevation, which houses the organ and vestry.
The majority of the internal fittings of the chapel date to 1862, with a late eighteenth century set fawr, pulpit and organ. The gallery covers three sides and is mounted on fluted cast iron posts with foliage capitals. The ceiling is plastered with a central rose and slender ribs.
Source: Cadw Listed Building Record
RCAHMW Inventory Documents
K Steele, RCAHMW, 20 February 2009 - Description: Chapel built 1862 in Italianate/Romanesque style, gable entry type, to the design of Rev. Thomas Thomas of Landore (cost £2070). Modified 1877-8 to the design of Richard Owen of Liverpool. Extended/refurbished & turrets added 1890-1 to the design of Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadoc. Further works to the design of H. Glanfor Thomas 1911-12. A prominent feature of this Chapel is the large arch in the façade. Status (1997): in chapel use.
Summary: stone-built chapel of Italianate/ Romanesque character on a split-level site; a pedimented gable-façade, in 1862 with centre entry (shown on OS map of 1880) leading to a shallow vestibule. By 1891 new entries were dispersed to the side walls of the new lean-to loggia porch. Box pews of 1862 throughout and a probably contemporary gallery front; changed floor level. Sedd Fawr of 1877-78. Pulpit and organ of 1891. Basement schoolroom and rear 1st-floor vestry.
The chapel reflects the work of 2 outstanding chapel designers in C19 Wales: The Reverend Thomas Thomas Glandwr who built the 1862 chapel, and Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadog who made additions at the front in a distinct but sympathetic style. Richard Owen of Liverpool also designed works here.
History and development: Founded 1862 (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other religious bodes). A daughter church of Capel Pendref in Bangor Street, Caernarfon, and planned after the 1859 Revival. Built at a cost of 2070 to the design of The Reverend Thomas Thomas Glandwr, "of a somewhat Italian order....very generally adopted by the Independents in different parts of Wales" (N. Wales Observer & Express, March 13, 1891). Foundation stone of September 3, 1860; opened 18 May 1862. The 1862 chapel had an internal vestibule of 4-5 foot depth, with gallery (61' length) continuing over it. It provided 138 pews, offering accommodation for 600-700 people. The woodwork of the pews was in 1862 of "stained yellow pine, mounted with mahogany; the pulpit of solid mahogany (beautifully polished)". At night, lit by a "sun burner". "A liberal course of alterations" (NOW&E, 13/3/1891) were carried out in 1877-78 at a cost of 743-19-7p to the design of Richard Owen of Liverpool (payment records survive of 296 in 1878 to William Prichard, contracor, and for 30 to Richard Owen of Liverpool for plan, for 14-7-0 for chair and 30 for window); works also included a new Sedd Fawr (see below, under Sedd Fawr enclosure and pulpit). In 1862 the chapel had been considered a building of external beauty, but by 1890 it was thought to have been designed "with more regard to its seating accommodation and convenience than to any architectural pretension" (NWOE, 13/3/1891). With a need for increased accommodation (average congregations of 800) extension and restoration works were carried out in 1890-91 in commemoration of 25 years of Dr Herber Evans's Ministry, at a cost of 3000 and with accommodation for ca. 900 people; these were to the design of Owen Morris Roberts, architect, of Porthmadoc, "who probably had more experience than any man in Wales in church and chapel building". The works included "the entire remodelling of the frontage" with the addition of "2 lofty and symmetrical turrets", in dark green stone with Anglesey marble dressings. The floor of the chapel was raised throughout and a schoolroom (45 x50) "furnished in pich pine" , formed in the basement. The organ was erected, Lincrusta added to the ceiling; the 1862 pews were cleaned off to the wood and painted in imitation of pine. There was an extensive scheme of repainting, stencilling and graining, mention being made of shades of pink, green, French grey and "other appropriate colours" (NOW&E, 13/3/1891). In 1903, the organ chamber ceiling was re-formed with payment of 55 for the old ceiling taken down and payment to E. Cross & Sons of Liverpool for the fibrous plaster centre flower. Electric lighting was installed in 1905. By 1911 cracks had appeared in the walling; in July 1911 H. Glanfor Thomas was appointed as architect and, in August, W.A. Roberts as builder. Works to the design of H. Glanfor Thomas included structural work in the vestry room (3 new brick piers and 1 new iron column); works also included 6 new sash windows, repairing the cement work, repairing the plaster work and new windows glazed with leaded lights of appropriate tints; plus, 75 umbrella holders in polished brass with bronzed pans for the seat ends (from James Hill of London).The chapel was re-opened April 14, 1912. Further C20 works have included a new heating apparatus in 1924; in 1929, 633 was spent on repainting, cleaning and repairing.
Exterior: pedimented 3-bay front elevation - entirely an 1891 refacing? - of snecked stone with ashlar dressings; full-width lean-to loggia porch of 1891 against ground floor; end staircase turrets of 1891. The upper portion of the elevation is representative of the chapel of 1862. Behind and above the porch, the front is articulated by giant pilasters, rising to an entablature over the end bays; an arch of stone block vouusoirs above the entablature in the centre bay, and rising into the tympanum, where it encloses a smaller segmental pediment with scalloped tympanum, above an oblong tablet with "Salem" in raised letters. Stone and wrought-iron finial to pediment. 3 semi-circular headed window openings at 1st floor with ashlar frames: pilasters, moulded heads and triple keyblocks; 2-light windows of "Venetian" tracery, i.e. semi-circular heads under glazed spandrels and circlet. The centre window is conjoined by narrower and lower single-light windows. Inscription in frieze of entablature: "Congregational" (in l.h. bay) and "Chapel 1862", the "C" and "2" spilling over into upper entablature frieze of 1891 stair turrets.
Ground floor of porch set between vestibule bays: the latter each with paired window with outer pilasters similar to 1st-floor windows, but with Gothic columnar mullion; each contains "Venetian" tracery, but of 2-lights: quoins; entablature continues across end stair turrets and also into the slightly recesed porch, which has narrower, trabeated side bays and an arch with keyblock and gable over the wider centre bay; memorial stone over keyblock to The Reverend E.J. Owen (Minister from 1921-1955). Porch floor of later-C20 cream terrazzo tiles. At the back of the porch are the bases to giant pilasters flanking a wide 2-light Gothic window, an 1891 replacement for the 1862 doorway, with framework of pilasters, moulded head and triple keyblock enclosing "Venetian" tracery. The lobby entries are in the side walls of the porch, each with 2 flat-headed doorways, with 3-pane overlight, above a door of 15 moulded panels. The 3-storey end turrets are unified with the rest of the front by continuation of porch and main entablatures. Pilaster quoins to front and returns. In the front elevation: a pair of Caernarfon-arched windows at ground floor; a tall "Venetian" traceried 2-light window at 1st floor, with leaded glazing of ?1911 and framework of pilasters, moulded head and keyblock, and pink-granite columnar mullion; panelled apron with inscribed commemoration stone of October 1890 to Dr E. Herber Evans on W. (1890) and to The Reverend D. Stanley Jones (Minister 1896-1919) on E.. Attic storey with shorter paired window with pilaster framework, rounded head to keyblock; pyramidal roofs of contrasting slate courses and with wrought-iron finials.
Front gates and railings: chapel enclosed at front by iron railings and gates, apparently of 1891 and replacing the enclosure of 1862; stone wall pier at E. and W. ends; dwarf wall of rock-faced stone with coping beneath 4 bays of railings; circular uprights wth fleur-de-lys finials rising alternately to above top and mid rails; gates of similar design with 2 centre gates flanked by single gates, with stone steps in front, but with saltire bracing below lock rail and with the top rail of the centre gates set on a curve. Open ironwork gate piers on stone bases.
5-bay side elevations: E. side elevation to Springwater Lane: steps descend along external boundary wall inset with 2 entrances with stone lintels.Basement storey at ground level is faced with stone walling of 1862 (oblong blocks of dressed rubble with a few snecked courses); segmental heads with stone voussoir blocks to window openings. Ground-floor chapel and gallery floors cement rendered: 5 giant round-headed and moulded arches with key blocks over pilasters, enclose lower and gallery fenestration in an almost continuous vertical strip, with 4-pane sash window with horns and segmental head to ground floor of chapel, and sash window under round head to gallery. Continuous cill band. Plain eaves cornice. Path at ground level inside boundary wall is faced with late-C19 to early-C20 diamond-block paviours of Ruabon type.
Rear elevation of chapel: stone walling of 1862 at base below cement render. Cement-rendered 3-storey organ loft projection.
Interior: porch vestibules and tower stairs: chapel-cum-gallery vestibules at base of gallery stairs. Encaustic tile floor at foot of lowest flight of stairs: floor of red octagonal tiles and small black angle lozenges, arranged both in a large centre rectangle and as an outer frame; black and gold tile borders. Brown-painted skirting. Painted-plaster walls lined as ashlar with external door in side wall of loggia porch, door to chapel in N. wall and window in front wall; oblong white plaster ceiling with moulded cornice, inset with Georgian-wired glass rooflight. Front window before lowest flight of stairs is inset with early-C20 leaded glazing: of 1911? Lowest stair flight of 8 steps, painted brown, with inner balustrade of dark stained balusters with large turned newel with ball finial at top and bottom; rises under a stopped and chamfered ceiling beam on female head corbels to a quarter landing at the foot of the stair tower, well lit by 2 tiers of fenestration. Top of stair well lit by 3 windows. 2 further flights of 4 steps to gallery door (stopped and chamfered frame and door of 6 moulded panels in 2 tiers) at foot of quarter landing and further flight of 4 steps.
Chapel interior: matchboarded dado to ground floor but not to gallery, where there are square wood balusters in front of the windows. Pale-green painted-plaster walls to both ground floor and gallery, lined as if for ashlar; window openings with white-painted stopped and chamfered jambs and blue-painted splayed reveals; 5 lateral window openings at both ground floor and gallery, with flat timber cills. Ground-floor lateral windows with segmentally-headed frames, inset with 4 frosted glass panes; the semi-circular side gallery windows similar, but also with pink frosted-glass to top panes and spandrels. Pink frosted glass panes also to top panes of S. gallery windows; centre tripartite window set in segmentally-arched recess. Tall, leaded and stained-glass side windows in organ loft. Also rear stained-glass window at ground floor (see below).
Rear or S. wall at ground floor with a vestibule doorway at S. end of each aisle: each with moulded architrave and 2 doors with ebony and brass handles, the doors of 5 panels each, with 4 moulded panels above square bottom panel. Shallow centre recess with beaded jamb and infilled with the 2-light semi-circular window of 1877, visible externally at the back of the porch; internally articulated by an outer moulded head with ornamental keyblock, on partly gilded Corinthian caps and fluted pilasters; inner frame of plain tooled ashlar, of circlet and spandrels over 2 semi-circular lights, all infilled with patterned and stained glass, inscribed "Duw cariad yw" on E. light and "God is love" on W. light; to design of Richard Owen of Liverpool?
Ceiling: white-painted ceiling cornice infilled with purple. Flat mid-blue ceiling with deep cove of paler blue in a fibrous plaster of trellis design, subdivided by white ribs; white moulded-plaster cornice above it, framing oblong margin panels round edge of main ceiling, the oblong panels subdivided lengthwise by centre ribs and with triangular ends; interspersed at each angle and centre side by a square panel inset with a glazed circular panel (formerly vent?): square open fret vent in centre at S. end. 4 white-painted diagonal ribs on main ceiling, each framing, & roughly at half distance, a circular glazed panel (formerly a vent?); splendid gilded and white and acanthus-leafed plaster rose in centre, framing circular flower vent.
Ground-floor seating: grained and varnished box pews of 1862, arranged largely as a centre block of paired pews and side blocks of single pews, raked uphill towards the rear and, unlike Thomas's Capel Salem at Porthmadog, all facing forwards; in addition, 2 shallow blocks each side at the N. end, which face at right angles on to the side of the Sedd Fawr. Seat backs, bench ends and pew doors of equal height, under three-quarter rounded and dark-stained top beading; seat backs faced with horizontal stopped and chamfered panels, the bench ends and pew doors of 2 tiers of moulded panels. Umbrella holders of polished brass with bronzed iron pans, installed 1912 and originally intended to be fixed to alternate seat ends (undated spec. [1911] by, and letter of 17/2/12 from, the architect, H. Glanfor Thomas, of Caernarfon). Gilded pew numbering on a vermillion and stencilled ground. So as to accommodate the aisle fanning inwards from the vestibule doors, the side block seats are narrower at the rear and the centre block seats wider. Side block of seats numbered 7 (front) to 20 on E., with pews 21, 21A and 41 at rear converted to a Sunday School space. The W. side block numbered 60 (rear) to 72 at front; in front of 72, pews 73 and 74 altered to accommodate an upright piano with inlaid wood case [Waldemar/ Berlin]; at rear, 59A, 40 and 59B form one large pew with benches on S., W. and E.. Centre block of paired pews with discontinuous seat dividers, made up of 2 tiers of stopped and chamfered panels; seat backs variously of 4 or 5 stopped and chamfered panel width. Centre block pews numbered 22 (rear) to 39 on E. and 42 (front) to 59 on W., the rear 2 rows wider; an unnumbered seat in front, from which the centre seat divider and the pew doors have been removed. At the N. end, the shallow blocks facing on to the side of the Sedd Fawr are numbered: on E. side of chapel: 1-3 (on N., with pews largely removed) and 4-6 (on S.); on W. side, 75-77 (on S., with seats largely removed, and containing drums etc and Yamaha keyboard), and 78-81 (on N.), with back bench seat.
Sedd Fawr enclosure and pulpit: 2 steps each side up to rectangular and blue-carpeted Sedd Fawr enclosure that is wider to N. of the steps; faced at front with 6 varnished and horizontal stopped and chamfered panels; on E., 2 panels each side of steps; dark-stained turned balusters, under moulded handrail; the newels are square below and stained and turned above, with chamfered caps and ball finials, and inlaid with lozenges; blue-upholstered and buttoned Sedd Fawr bench seats, at front and returning to steps, and to each side on N. of steps. The Sedd Fawr closely resembles the Sedd Fawr at Capel Seion, Aberystwyth, a chapel built to Richard Owen's design in 1876-78.
Rectangular pulpit platform with 4 blue-carpeted steps each side with stained turned balusters over open cut string, and turned newels with dark inlaid lozenges in the caps and with ball finials. Pulpit platform of 1891 faced with horizontal panels below modillions and centre cornice; above the cornice, horizontal panels beneath low and open aracded parapet and cornice with modillions, the arcade made up of colonnettes with caps and black convex discs in the spandrels; the parapet extends along front and sides, to N. of staircases enclosing wide, blue upholstered C19 sofa. Centre pulpit projection with lectern on scroll brackets, in turn over framework of ornate panelled pilasters framing a 2-bay arcaded centrepiece, the arcading a blown-up version of that to either side (see above), but here enclosing semi-circular fretwork panels over oblong panels. Late-C19 and architect-designed chairs in Sedd Fawr, also table.
Gallery: 4-sided gallery: E and W. sides and S. end; set lower at the N. end and comprising a later cantilevered organ loft with gallery front of different design. The E., W., and S. galleries have a raked and white-painted plaster soffit above ground floor; gallery beam with varnished and moulded face to chapel, and supported by purple-painted iron columns with fluted shafts and white and pale-blue anthemion shafts. Modillions below the grained and varnished and projecting gallery front. This is faced with horizontal oblong panels, with curved ends, grained and varnished pale gold and with purple and gilded and moulded edging; the panels are divided into bays by round-arched panelled pilasters: 4 panels to each side , 1 to each curved intersection and, at the S. end, a narrower panel each side of the later-C20 "Seiko" clock, with "1862" in gilded numbering below.
Gallery seating: vertical stopped and chamfered panel seat backs to box pews (some umbrella holders and pans retained). Three-quarter beading at top of seat backs and ends, pew doors and seat dividers, the last ramped down in straight lines from pew to pew. Seating plan the Rev Thomas Thomas's, and similar to other chapels to his design, e.g., Salem, Porthmadog, and Seion, Llandysul. The gallery box pews continue the ground-floor numbering. Each side from Sedd Fawr end: 1): block of single pews, 4 pews deep with 5-panel seat backs, and numbered on E. side: 82 (front) to 85, and on W. side, 142 at back to 145 at front; 2): large heating radiator and a wall bench and lateral aisle behind a paired block of seats of 3 pews depth with seat backs of four and a half panels width. Numbered on E. side: 86 (rear) to 88 on N., and 89 (front) to 91 on S.. Numbered on W. side of chapel: 136 (rear) -138 on S. of block, and 139 (front) to 141 on N.; 3): block of paired pews as 2) above, and numbered on E. side of chapel: 92 (rear) to 94 on N. of block and 95 (front) to 97 on S.. Numbered on W. side: 130 (rear) to 132 (front) on S. of block and 133 (front) to 135 on N.. 4): block of paired pews each side of chapel, curved round gallery intersections, and with short cross-aisles from gallery stairs at rear: 3 pews depth, fanning out in width towards the rear. Block on E side numbered 98 (rear) to 100 on N. and round corner on W.: 101 (front) to 103. Block round W. intersection numbered 124 (rear) to 126 on E. and 127-129 (rear) on N.. 5): single block of pews each side behind 4) above, and behind cross aisle, each of 3 pews depth with unnumbered seat on to the cross-aisle in front; the pews on E. side of chapel numbered 104 (front) to 106, and those on W. side numbered 121 (rear) to 123. 6): centre block of paired pews at S. end, behind gallery clock, and numbered on its E. side 108 (rear) to 113 (front) and on its W. side 114-119 (rear).
Organ and organ loft: organ loft and front to design of Owen Morris Roberts. 3-manual organ of 1891 by Peter Gonacher, Springwood, Huddersfield. Painted pipes in a timber case, largely in a 3-bay coved projection above the console: centre bay of 11 white-painted pipes with pale-blue tips; flanking bays each of 5 pale-blue pipes at front and 3 at sides; 11 white-painted pipes with pale-blue feet and tips to each side above vertical oak panelling.
In front of organ, short centre aisle flanked by open bench seats with stopped and chamfered panel backs, 3 on E. and 2 on W.; shaped and chamfered bench ends with rounded tops.
Gallery front to organ loft faced with 2-tier panelling (below: 2 pairs of moulded oblong panels interspersed with a patera in square panel at ends and centre; above: square fretwork panels between colonnettes) set between an aedicule at either end (like that on Capel Hyfrydle gallery front, Holyhead, also by Owen Morris Roberts); dentil cornice. Stained-glass windows of 2 lights in return.
Memorial: to The Reverend E. Herber Evans, Minister here from 1865-94, and comprising a bronze medallion head in relief above a brass plaque.
Vestry below organ: dating from 1891 and set 3 steps below ground-floor chapel auditorium. This has white-painted skirting, dado and picture rails; pale-blue painted-plaster walls; white-painted plaster ceiling and cornice. Lit by 4-pane sash window in N. wall, and via 4-pane window of obscured glass over stairs. Late-C19? Cabinet on S., donated in 1922. C19 chair beside it on W. with boarded seat, and Gothic back, with SW. corner cupboard beside it, under stairs to organ loft. NW. wall cupboard faced with 4 glass panels. Late-C19 N. fireplace surround with brackets on plain pilasters. Windsor chairs etc., 1 chair with high ladder back of 1888.
A late C19 timber staircase descends to chapel kitchen and from there down 2 steps to ground floor schoolroom below chapel.
Schoolroom: of 1862, with alterations (e.g., structural work of 1911). Schoolroom lit each side by 3 segmentally-headed sash windows (see exterior). Painted -plaster walls and ceiling; 2 ceiling girders, each supported by cast-iron columns: 3 on S. and 2 on N.. Light fittings of bronze and of patterned obscured glass, of earlier to mid C20? 3 full-width steps along S. wall, the rear step below pink-painted wall bench with pink-painted matchboarded back, the matchboarding returning along the sides. C19 plaque from the former Joppa chapel at centre rear on S. wall: "Joppa/ Independent / Protestant Chapel 1841 .....". Pink-painted E. and W. matchboarded lobbies with 4-moulded panel doors project into the vestry. Dais, now stage, on N, with late-C19 stop-and chamfer panel front with dwarf, 2-rail and pink-painted metal parapets. C19 harmonium on SW. of dais; C19 knee-hole desk with side cupbords in front, with portable mahogany lectern on desk top. Part-glazed C19 cupboard on S.. C19 Gothic chair on dais. Pink-painted matchboarding encloses 2 cupboards on E. of dais.
OMJ. 15/5-8/97. Visited 14/5/97; also 23/5/97 in company of DJR and PI. - Built: 1862 Source:Capel
- Dated: 1862 Source:Cadw
- Built: 1862 Source:Capel
- Dated: 1862 Source:Plaque
- Built: 1862 Source:Jenkins, O M
- Founded: 1862 Source:RCCEORBWM
- Date Of Chapel: 1891 Source:
- Opened: 18/05/1862 Source:Capel
- Remodelled/ Enlarged?: 1882 Source:Cadw
- Extended & Refurbishment: 1890-1891 Source:Capel
- Extended & Refurbishment: 1890-1891 Source:Capel
- Renovated & Extended: 1891 Source:Cadw
- Modified: 1878 Source:SRH
- Architect: 1862 Richard Davies, Bangor
- Designer designer: 1862 Thomas Thomas, Landore
- Builder: 1890-1891 Isaac Williams,
- Architect: 1890-1891 Morus Roberts,
- Architect: 1891 Owen Morris Roberts, Porthmadog
- Architect: 1878 Richard Owens, Liverpool
- Contractor: 1862 Richard Jones, Bangor
- £ 4300: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 779: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- 700: 1880 Sittings (1:500 map)
- Chapel: 1998 (Blwyddiadur)
- Chapel: 2011 (Denominational Yearbook)
- Welsh: 1998 (Blwyddiadur)
- Welsh: ()
- Materials
- Mixed
- 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: SH48166268
- Address: POOL LANE, CAERNARFONCAERNARFON
2 thoughts on “SALEM WELSH INDEPENDENT CHAPEL, POOL LANE, CAERNARFON (CONGREGATIONAL)”
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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