- Nprn: 6866
- Cadw Ref: (WO) 2/37
- Cadw Record No: 3859
- Summary: Caersalem Welsh Baptist Church was first built in 1827 for a community founded in 1815. The renowned Baptist preacher, Christmas Evans, served as minister of this church from 1832 to 1838, and he is commemorated by a bust on the pulpit. The original church was later extended in c.1855 and rebuilt in 1869 to the design of John Thomas of Caernarvon. It is in a Classical and Lombardic/Italianate style, with a three-bay gable entrance, with painted tooled stone dressings and coped gable, topped by a slate roof. The central bay is approached via stairs, leading to flanking gable porches with coped gables. The fenestration comprises two-light windows with Italianate tracery, and quatrefoil tracery lights with key moulded surrounds.
Within the church is a three-sided raked gallery with a projected panelled front. The plastered ceiling has relief panels and foliage decoration. Behind the pulpit is a shallow apse with a richly moulded arch on Corinthian pilasters; the apse has three stained glass windows depicting Alpha, Omega and a dove.
Source: Cadw Listed Building Record
RCAHMW Inventory Documents
K Steele, RCAHMW, 2 March 2009 - Description: Chapel founded 1815, built 1827, extended ca. 1855. Rebuilt 1869. Built in the Classical and Lombardic/Italian style, gable entry type, to the design of John Thomas of Caernarvon. The great Baptist preacher Christmas Evans was minister here 1832-8. Status (1997): in chapel use.
Summary: Stone-built gable façade chapel dating in
its present form from 1869; end entries; built on the site of the old meeting house and possibly, in the shape of the 1838 basement vestry and schoolroom, incorporating something of it. The 1869 chapel is to the design of John Thomas, architect and County surveyor and is illustrated in a print in the chapel records. The site is of historic importance, too, for its association with the great preacher, Christmas Evans, Minister here 1832-38, and part of whose pulpit from Anglesey is retained in the schoolroom. Box pews, gallery, the interior plasterwork a charming Gothick confection. Pulpit backing on to rear gable, to front of apsidal projection. Baptistery tank beneath Sedd Fawr.
History and development: Founded 1815 (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other religious bodies). Erected 1822 (Religious Census of 1851). Following the Baptist mission to N. Wales from S. Wales in 1776, there were a number of Baptists in the surrounding districts before the establishment of temporary causes in Caernarfon. A permanent cause was established in the town from ca. 1815 with the arrival of William Pritchard: meetings came to be held in a house in S. Penrallt which was adapted as a chapel. In 1825, John Evans caused the field Caemasglas in the "suburbs of Caernarfon" to be divided into different lots for building thereon. Lots 32 and 33 in a map of the field "drawn by Mr John Lloyd Architect" were conveyed to Ministers and Trustees for the Baptists for the purpose of erecting a chapel for the Particular Baptists. An indenture and release of 1826 survives for a chapel erected or about to be erected. The great Baptist preacher, Christmas Evans, was Minister from 1832 until his death (in Swansea) in 1838; with the aim of making improvements, land was purchased behind the chapel (release of 1836): the vestry and Ty Capel were built and the chapel turned to face Garnons Street in 1838 (R. Edwards, Pwlpud Caersalem yn y ganrif ddiwethaf (ms. In chapel records)). By the 1850s the chapel had become too small; it was extended (a plot of land in Garnons Street conveyed in April 1855) and the chapel re-opened 2 and 3 December, 1855. In 1867, a new chapel was decided upon; work began sometime in 1868 "on the site of the old meeting house" (Carnarvon & Denbigh Herald, June 12, 1869) and the present chapel was opened on 6 and 7 June, 1869. Payments of £15 and £39-8-4p were made in 1868 and 1869 to John Thomas, architect and County Surveyor (chapel records and Carn. & Denb. Herald, op. cit): a small print of the "new chapel" by his hand survives in the chapel records. Payments of £470 and £140 were made in 1868 and 1869 to Messrs Evan & R. Jones, contractors; Mr O Griffiths of Newborough Street was the stonecutter (chapel records). The OS 1:500 map of 1880 shows structures built against the SE. elevation of the chapel and facing on to Baptist Court (presently the garden behind Ty Capel; here there is asymmetrical lower storey fenestration, and also shelving at gallery level). The 1880 map also seems to show steps before front doorways in the gabled porches, as indicated in the 1869 print (see below, under Exterior: Front elevation). Room was made for seating 20 more in 1885 and in 1896 there were works on the schoolroom and ancillary rooms.
Accommodation: in 1851, space comprised: free 100; other 300; standing 80. In 1905, seating accommodation for 620 in chapel (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other religious bodies).
Exterior: Gabled "Venetian Gothic" façade with gabled porch projections, linked by a later lean-to roof. The 1869 front elevation of pale blue-grey painted stucco with painted dressings, partly of ashlar, in a deeper grey; plinth; painted end quoins, moulded raking cornice and finial. John Thomas's? print in the chapel records shows shallow gabled porches with front entries; these may have led originally to an internal full-width vestibule; the addition of a piece in front in 1885 so as to gain 20 more seats, may have been achieved by extending the porches forward so as to have 2 ground-floor porch vestibules instead, thus securing more room internally.
The present gabled porches are set well forward of the front wall with doorways in their inner return walls; the front arches within living memory have each contained only a window: the columns with foliage caps and chamfered bases are supported by high pedestals: flat, doubl-nailhead mouldings to the arch heads; small circular openings inset with quatrefoils in the apex, below cruciform finials. The present flat arched doorways in the side walls have 9-panel doors above steps with concrete top step. The porches are presently linked by a later lean-to glazed roof above 3 wide concreted steps with metal nosings; the lean-to roof descends from the now-concealed band between ground-floor and gallery centre windows: the ground-floor centre windows are of 2-lights with flat heads, the 2-light gallery windows with Venetian-style tracery of ca. 1500, that is, of round-arched heads to lights beneath glazed circlet and spandrels. Cutting into the conjoined heads of the 2 centre gallery windows is a large circular opening with inset glazed quatrefoil; keyblock. The dripstones to the centre windows extend presently over narrow, single-light and round-headed end windows, different from the windows shown in the 1869 print. Beneath the ground-floor centre window is a 1st World War Memorial tablet in marble: triangular pediment with antefixae.
Tarmcadamed forecourt apart from the NW. end, where 2 steps, of ?York stone, lead up to a paved area of York stone flags. The forecourt is raised above a double flight of York stone steps with centre handrail, leading up from the front gates in Garnons Street; bottom step of slate; grey stone gate piers with nailhead chamfers and with trefoil faces to caps. The iron gates have square uprights set lozengwise with fancy finials; each gate with 8 uprights to lock rail and 7 to top rail; square iron standards set lozengewise. Railings similar, but with uprights and finial to top railings, in line with the top rail to gate; set above grey-painted retaining wall along Garnons Street. Yellow and red-brick arched entrance at N. end, inset with grey-painted weatherboarded door.
NE. side elevation: wall of pinkish stone rubble up to gallery level and rendered above. Two 16-pane sash windows to basement. 2 windows of 3-panes width with flat heads and slate lintels to ground floor of chapel. 5 tall semi-circular headed windows to gallery, Venetian-traceried, of 2-lights and of 4 panes depth; ?chimney breast cantileverd from gallery.
Pebbledash SW. side elevation: shelf at gallery level, the gallery stepped inwards; was this at eaves level of the buildings formerly adjoining here in Baptist Court, and indicated on the 1880 OS map? On ground floor (chapel basement level), 2 doorways, the NW. dorway to schoolroom set above 4 concrete steps; the SE. door accessed up 6 external steps and leading to the chapel kitchen; 3 intermediate later-C20 windows to the schoolroom. Buttress descends from gallery at NW. end; also a chimney breast? (see NE. side wall, above). 2 flat-arched windows serving ground-floor chapel: with slate cills, & of 3 panes width and 2 panes depth, & painted brown. 5 tall 2-light traceried windows with Venetian-traceried heads to the gallery, each light of 4-panes depth.
NW. gabled rear elevation with cement-rendered ground floor, the wall shelved in at gallery level, and then, upwards, of pebbledash; two 16-pane mid-C19 style sash windows to basement; two windows of 3-panes width to ground floor of chapel, flanking curved and slate-roofed and apsidal projection in centre, with its eaves just above gallery window cill level. 2 end gallery windows similar to those in side elevations (see above). Base to former finial at gable apex. The rear and NE. side elevations are enclosed by walls of pinkish stone rubble, the rear boundary wall built up in red brick.
Interior: porch interior with high, brown-painted skirting, blush-pink walls and vaulted white-painted plaster ceiling. Front porch window in each porch "extension" is semi-circular headed, of 2 lights, each light with an upper quadrant pane; stained-glass margin lights of early-C20 pattern. Porch extension with encaustic tile floor (red, with gold and black border); step up to inner, 1869?, porch with lino floor and doormat; inner wall of inner porch contains circular window of encaustic glass: clear glass circlets, gold crosses on opaque lozenges. Outer side of inner porches with segmental arch on anthemion brackets over foot of gallery stairs. These have brown-lino treads, the lower flight of 5 steps on a curve below an upper flight of 12 steps, the lowest of the latter below a brown, baize-covered gallery door with panels picked out with sunk nail heads; the upper flight has moulded handrails on pink-painted plaster walls.
Chapel interior: on ground floor, painted and grained matchboarded dado, rising higher than window cill level; dark stained top beading. Vertical-panelled dado against side walls of gallery. Pale-pink painted-plaster walls. Wall vents with clasped fist handles, 4, e.g., along each side of gallery. At ground floor, 2 oblong timber-framed windows each side; angle beads; vertical strips of obscured glass in each pane, some panes renewed. The 2 centre SE. windows at ground floor and gallery are inset with leaded and coloured glass, in a pattern of intersecting ovals and circles; dark-blue margin panes. Semi-circular lateral gallery window openings (5 each side and 2 at NW. end): angle beads, shallow splayed reveals, the window panes again containing strips of obscured glass, including the top circlets.
Ceiling: the gallery window heads rise behind the deep and blue-painted plaster ceiling cove, which rises to a pointed head over each window opening. The blue ceiling cove rises from a stuccoed white ceiling cornice, ornamented with rosettes, zigzag and bead and reel ornament. Between each window the cove is divided into 2 panels by a moulded and patterned rib, descending to a white stucco corbel. The blue-painted flat ceiling is divided into panels by white-moulded ribs with white-painted and moulded 4-leafed bosses with reeded centres at the rib intersections; narrow, dark-blue painted band at the outer edge of each panel. The outer margin strips have square panels at ends and in the centre of each long side, inset with octagonal fretwork ?vents with centre bosses. A centre panel strip divides the main ceiling area into 2 large oblong panels. The 2 large oblongs each has a triangular panel projecting inwards from the centre of each of its sides (inset with scrolls and flowerheads) and a circular opening (vent?) at the centre, with moulded plaster frame; also 4 bosses.
There is a shallow curved and apsidal recess behind the pulpit, of pink-painted plaster, with moulded string above 3 circular and stained glass windows, the last representative of a dove in the centre, flanked by alpha and omega. The recess is enclosed by white-painted fluted pilasters, rising from pulpit dais, with composite caps and supporting an elliptical arch with keyblock and guilloche ornament. The pink-painted wall surface between this arch and a segmental arch inset below, is painted with a large, white-painted circular flower-head disc, and moulded plaster spandrels, ornamented with bay leaf etc..
Ground-floor seating: box pews: seats with sloping backs made up of sunk, horizontally-boarded panels, painted and grained, and with beaded edging, under semi-octagonal purple and brown-stained top beading, this last continuing also over single and vertical-panel pew doors with brass bolts, securing the doors to simple seat ends, chamfered and flat-topped, with gilded pew numbers. Ground floor seats arranged as a centre block of paired pews and 2 side blocks of single pews, all facing forwards, but the last with small blocks of seats at right angles in front of them. The pews in the single side blocks have 2-panel seat backs, and are numbered 1-15 on the NE. and 58-72 on the SW.. In front of each, 2 small blocks of seats at right angles, facing on to the side of the pulpit; on NE. side, the N. block numbered 18 & 19 with an unnumbered seat in front, and with bench seat of 19 removed to make way for a harmonium; pews numbered 16 & 17 on S., the sides and seat of 16 removed for a band. On SW. side, the small N. block numbered 54 & 55 with an unnumbered seat in front over the schoolroom stairs, and the S. block numbered 56 & 57. Centre block of paired pews with discontinuous pew divider and thus with seat backs alternately of 2 and 3 panels width. The pews are numbered 20-36 on the NE., and 37-53 on the SW, with an unnumbered seat at the front, in front of 20 & 53. The 2 rear pews - 35 & 36 on NE. and 37 & 38 on SW. - are narrower, since they are sited in the window recess at the back, between the entrance lobbies; behind them, a wall bench, with 4-panel horizontal back. The 4 front pews (20 & 21, and 52 & 53) have been adapted to accommodate the Viscount electronic organ.
Gallery: 3-sided gallery, its SE. side curved, and facing the pulpit. Gallery beam finished with nailhead ornament; supported by octagonal cast-iron columns with brown-painted lower shafts and oak painted and grained upper shafts; stop-chamfer caps, each faced with 4 quatrefoils below nailhead ornament. 4 columns each side and 1 at SE. end. Cantilevered gallery front, supported by C19 cusped iron brackets pierced with quatrefoils. Gallery front faced with horizontal stop chamfer panels, painted and grained light gold: with 2 panels per bay, the bays punctuated by short pilaster projections (in line with the cantilever brackets below). Circular gallery clock bearing legend: "Roberts & Owen Caernarvon".
Gallery seating: the pews are similar but have vertical-panelled backs and are numbered in continuation of the ground floor sequence. Each side from the Sedd Fawr end: 1): a block of single pews, 3 deep, and numbered 73-75 on SW. side of chapel and 110-112 on NE. side; 2): a block of paired pews, 2 deep; on SW. side of chapel, the N. pews numbered 76-77 and the S. pews numbered 78-79. On NE. side of chapel, the S. pews numbered 106 & 107 and the N. pews numbered 108 and 109; 3): block of paired pews, 2 deep, round gallery intersection, and thus partly canted obliquely; on SW. side of chapel, the NW. pews numbered 80-81 and the SE. pews numbered 85-86. On NE. side of chapel, the SW. pews numbered 99-100 and the NE. pews numbered 104-105. Cross-aisle from gallery stairs to rear of 3), each side of chapel. 4): single block of seats behind 3), the seats set on a curve in line with centre block at SE. end of gallery (see 5) below): on SW. side of chapel numbered 82-84 and on NE. side of chapel, numbered 101-103. Vertical boarding in front of pews 101 and 84, behind cross-aisle. Rear corner seat behind 4), on each side of chapel. 5): centre block of paired pews at SE. end or centre back of gallery: on its SW. side, numbered 87-92; on its NE. side, numbered 93-98; seats 92 & 93 at rear are minus a seat divider.
Sedd Fawr and pulpit: 1 step up each side to rectangular Sedd Fawr enclosure with balustrade of arched columnar balusters of pine, with shaft rings, the stop-chamfer arcading over the balusters with gilded discs in the spandrels; moulded top rail. Square newels with zigzag-moulded caps and shallow pyramidal finials; single newels each side at front, flanking Sedd Fawr entries, and 2 at top and bottom of pulpit stairs. Red upholstered cushion strip to Sedd Fawr bench seat.
The pulpit platform is curved at the back but flat in front, with centre-front rectangular extrusion; accessed in front at each end by straight flights of 5 steps. Pulpit platform parapet with similar arcading to Sedd Fawr; plainer arcading on pulpit stairs. The pulpit platform is faced with vertical panelling below its arcaded parapet; both the cornice and arcading continue into the sides of the front pulpit projection (see above); this has colonnettes with gilded caps at the front angles, and egg and dart moulding supporting long sloping lectern brackets; on the front face of the pulpit, a wood medallion in relief of Christmas Evans by Frank Cappa, inscribed beneath: "Christmas Evans/ Gweinidog 1832-1838". Three C19 chairs in front of pulpit with the arcaded backs similar, e.g., to the pulpit platform arcading, the centre chair more substantial, with larger arms and ball finials. Pine table. Carved red upholstered settle in pulpit recess with dark wood frame and scroll arms.
Musical instruments: late-C19? Harmonium by H. Christophe and Etienne, Paris, with polished wood case and fluted columns at front angles. Viscount electronic organ. Later-C20 drums.
Wall memorials: to former Ministers: in the pulpit recess, a tablet with triangular pediment and antefixae and with memorial inscription in black waxed lettering to The Reverend Richard Ellis (1812-1875). Over vestry stairs, brass plaque with black waxed inscription to The Reverend Owen Davies, Minister from 1876-1905. On NE. side of pulpit, brass memorial plaque to The Reverend R.G. Roberts, Minister from 1907-1930. On SW. side, veined marble tablet in memory of The Reverend Humphrey Ellis, Minister from 1930-1951.
Basement vestry, classroom and schoolroom: from the foot of the back stairs, a short corridor leads to the schoolroom. In the corridor, 3 ?mid-C19 moulded-panel doors of 6 panels (to schoolroom, and rear vestry and classroom), the door to the schoolroom with its top panels glazed.
Vestry on NE. of corridor with red-carpeted floor; painted-plaster walls, pale green above reeded dado string; flat, white-painted ceiling. C19 fireplace surround with reeded frame and mantleshelf on foliage brackets; late-C19 grate. 2-door cupboard of ca. 1900 in SE. wall. Table; bentwood and late-C20 chairs. Photos of chapel officers on wall.
Classroom on SW. with C19 plain pilastered fireplace surround and brackets beneath mantleshelf; iron grate.
Schoolroom : with kitchen partitioned off at SE. end; vinyl tile floor; mustard-painted and timber matchboarded dado; cream-painted plaster walls. 2 mid-C19? 16-pane sash windows in NE. wall. Matchboarded partition wall with chapel kitchen. In between NE. and SW. walls, 2 girder beams supported by cast-iron columns: mustard-painted lower shafts and cream-painted above; shaft ring and zigzag below caps; thin, white-painted exposed joists to middle and SE. ceiling bays. 3 doors in SE. wall. In NW. corner, late-C19 glazed bookshelf and cupboard; iron-framed bench; Late C19 harmonium by Christophe and Etienne, Paris, with oak case. Low dais on NE.. With upright piano by "Chapell, London" in front of it. Dais with short stretch of turned balusters and newels at each end. On dais, pine table, plain mid-C19? Gothic chair with 2 blind lancet panels in chair back between quaterfoils in top rail; Christmas's Evans's pulpit, brought over in C20 from Anglesey; vertical-panelled front, and canted sides, under moulded top cornice; base and stair missing. Also on dais, large chair with carved back inscribed "1888" "Er cof am Meigant". Iron-framed wood bench seats, e.g., 2 at rear of dais, 3 along W. wall, 2 at NW. end. Later C20 stacking chairs.
The chapel house is at 21 Garnons Street, of 1838? But altered in C20. 3 storeys, 1 bay, and l.h. doorway. Later-C20 windows with top-opening lights; C20 half-glazed door beneath C19 overlight. Some internal C19 fittings.
OMJ. 5/-8/97. Visited 20 & 21/5/97 with DJR & PI. - Built: 1827 Source:Capel
- Built: 1868-1869 Source:Jenkins, O.M.
- Built: 1850A Source:Welsh Office
- Built (s. Penrallt): 1822 Source:Jenkins, O.M.
- Founded: 1815 Source:RCCEORBWM
- Date Of Chapel: 1869 Source:
- Extended: c.1855 Source:Jenkins, O.M.
- Rebuilt: 1869 Source:Capel
- Extended: 1846-1860 Source:Capel
- Turned Rd; Vestry, Ty.: 1838 Source:Jenkins, O.M.
- Architect: 1868-1869 John Thomas, Caernarvon
- 620: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- Chapel: 1998 (Llawlyfr)
- Chapel: 2011 (Denominational website)
- Welsh: 01/09/1997 (Site visit - N Hughes)
- Welsh: 1998 (Llawlyfr)
- Materials
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Style: Mixed
- Gallery: On three sides
- Plan: Gable Entry
- Pulpit Position: Rear wall
Key Details of this Chapel
Key Dates of this Chapel
Key People in this Chapel 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: SH48146256
- Address: GARNON STREET, CAERNARFONCAERNARFON
4 thoughts on “CAERSALEM WELSH BAPTIST CHURCH (PARTICULAR BAPTIST;JERUSALEM), GARNONS STREET, CAERNARFON (JERUSALEM; PARTICULAR BAPTIST)”
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The Chapel received planning permission from Gwynedd Council and CADW for substantial changes to the inside that kept key architectural detail intact. The changes too the building had to take place to reflect the changing nature of the life of the Church which is now contemporary. The Chapel was re-opened after renovation in late 2015.
Rhys
Its is good to hear that the chapel is thriving, at a time when many face an uncertain future, and it looks great. Thank you for the update, we really appreciate it. Diolch yn fawr
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