- Nprn: 7196
- Summary: Capel yr Erw was first built in 1811, but was subsequently rebuilt in 1863 to the designs of Rev. Thomas Thomas of Landore. Further alterations were carried out in the late 19th century, the early 20th century and in a programme of renewal in 1933.
The current building is constructed in the simple round-headed style, of the gable entry type. The rubble stone facade has a central, semi-circular headed doorway with a fanlight, to either side of which is a narrow round-headed sash window with frosted glass glazing. Above the dorway is a Venetian window, with the centre light infilled with the inscription "Adnewyddwyd/ Capel-y-Erw/ 1933". In the gable is a circular slate plaque inscribed: "Capel yr Erw/ Independent Chapel/ was built/ 1811/ rebuilt 1863/ by The Rev. Thomas Thomas".
The pebbledashed side elevations are lit by three round-headed sash windows each, while the rear gable is slate hung.
Internally the vestibule, which has a floor of red, gold and black tiles, leads to two gallery stairs. The ground floor pews appaer to be of early 20th century date, with simple Gothic shaped ends. There is an "M30 Instrumental" two-manual electronic organ in front of centre bank of seats. THe sedd fawr is curved and panelled, and there are two sets of stairs to the pulpit dias. An Eisteddfod chair bears the words: "Y gwir yn erbyn/ y byd. Eisteddfod Y.M.A./ Pwllheli/ 1914".The pulpit has an semi-hexaginal front, and there are two brass oil lamps with wrought iron brackets. A pulpit chair has a plaque with the inscription "Er cof am T.J.Evans, Llundain? 1932/ gan ei frawd/ D.H.Evans Lampeter". Over the pulpit is a plaster arch: there are parish memorials to the side, to Private John Davies, of Bayliau, killed in France in 1916 and to Private Melville Donald Rodge, killed in Holland, 1944.
The gallery is supported by cast iron columns stamped with the name "T. Jones & Sons Priory Foundry Carmarthen", and has a front made up of painted and grained panels. There is an integral clock, the face bearing the name "W.Davies & Son, Carmarthen".
The ceiling is panelled with lozenge shaped decoration to the centre. To the rear is a kitchen and vestry, divided by an iron-frame partition stamped with "John Brinsmead & Sons/ London".
On the north-east side of the chapel is a burial ground.
In 1905 (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other Religious Bodies in Wales and Monmouthshire) there were 250 sittings in the chapel, which was valued at £550.
RCAHMW, November 2009 - Description: 1. Chapel built 1811; rebuilt 1863 in simple round-headed style, gable entry type, to the design of Rev. Thomas Thomas of Landore. Renewed 1933. Status (1998): in chapel use.
2. Semi-circular-headed centre doorway with stone voussoirs and a fanlight with five-pane radiating tracery above the two wooden-boarded doors. To each side of the front is a narrow and semi-circular-headed sash window with frosted-glass panes, under a head of stone voussoirs. Above the centre doorway, a Venetian-like three-light window opening, but with the arched centre light in filled by the inscription: "Adnewyddwyd/ Capel-y-Erw/ 1933". In the gable is a circular slate plaque with dressed stone voussoirs and is inscribed: "Capel yr Erw/ Independent Chapel/ was built/ 1811/ rebuilt 1863/ by The Rev. Thomas Thomas".
CD/Ecclesiastical/SN64SW from O.M. Jenkins.
CHN 25/05/04
1863 with alterations probably of late 19th century, early 20th century and of 1933. NW. gable façade to the B4143 country road as it passes through the strung-out village of Cellan. Vestry on SE. at rear. Burial ground adjoining chapel on NE., on strip of land along road.
Chapel has centre entry to vestibule which has inner doors at rear of chapel. Entrance façade of rock-faced stone. Slate roof. Semi-circular-headed centre doorway with stone voussoirs, fanlight with five-pane radiating tracery above two wooden-boarded doors, apparently of the 1930s, and each with four frosted and coloured-glass panes at the top. To each side, a narrow and semi-circular-headed sash window with frosted-glass panes, under a head of stone voussoirs. Above the centre doorway, a Venetian-like three-light window opening, but with the arched centre light infilled by the inscription: "Adnewyddwyd/ Capel-y-Erw/ 1933". Frosted glass panes, the side lights each of two-panes depth and the centre light of eight large panes; concrete cills. In the gable, a circular slate plaque has dressed stone voussoirs and is inscribed: "Capel yr Erw/ Independent Chapel/ was built/ 1811/ rebuilt 1863/ by The Rev. Thomas Thomas".
Side elevations of pebbledash below projecting bracket eaves cornices and main slate roof with a roof vent visible at centre of roof ridge. Each side elevation with three semi-circular headed window openings with rendered architraves, keystones and impost blocks. Window openings contain vertically-sliding sash windows below three-pane radiating heads, the upper part of each sash window of twelve panes and the lower part of four large frosted-glass panes.
Slate-hung rear gable with the lower vestry wing extending SE.. The latter has walls of shallow blocks of stone rubble and a slate roof, descending as a catslide on the SW.. In the NE. side wall, facing the burial ground there is a wooden-boarded door in deep reveals. The SE. gable has three cambered-headed window openings with blue-grey stone heads and projecting cills, with windows of six panes of frosted glass. Vent opening above. Plain bargeboard.
Tarmacadamed path to chapel entrance above five concrete steps, with one stone step to doorway. In front boundary wall, an early-20th century iron gate, painted silver, and with circular uprights with tripartite finials rising alternately to above top and middle rails. Rendered gate piers with truncated pyramidal coping, flanked by small quadrant walls of stone rubble with rendered coping, then tubular railings each in form of two silver-painted rails connected by iron stanchions with heart-shaped finials. To each side again, a stone-rubble boundary wall with veined white and pink quartzite blocks. A pair of 19th-century iron gates (of 1863?) on NE., alongside NE. side elevation; this is silver-painted with circular uprights rising to top rail; the uprights alternately have lozenge-shaped finials and alternately meet at the top in pairs, enclosing another lozenge finial. The gates are flanked immediately by massive stone blocks with rounded heads and then by rendered gate piers with pyramidal coping. Three slatey-stone steps through gate, and a concrete step above.
The burial ground on NE. is enclosed from the road by a stone boundary wall with white and pink veined quartzite blocks, the wall curved inwards to a field gate at the NE. end. This has circular iron gate posts, the gate itself with two pairs of cross braces, and with scrollwork above the top rail. NE. and SE. boundary walls to burial ground also of stone with rough-hewn blocks of stone as coping. The burial ground extension at the SE. end has block boundary walls, probably of the later 20th century.
Interior:
Vestibule: shallow vestibule with floor of red, gold and black encaustic tiles, with centre strip laid in a pattern based on lozenges and with a chevron border. Matchboarded dado, on NW. entrance wall with late-20th century boarding over. Cream-painted inner wall of vestibule above matchboarded dado, with central 19th-century rectilinear window (see below) and flanking doorways with doors of six moulded panels. Board with coat hooks beside NE. door. Two gallery stairs, on NE. and SW.: lower floghts of seven steps to turn, one step to four-moulded panel gallery door and seven steps above. Upper flight in matchboarded enclosure. Lower flight with large turned newel with ball finial, and balustrade with stick balusters and moulded handrail.
Chapel interior: matchboarded dado, cream-painted walls and window reveals. Window openings with beaded jambs, splayed reveals, raked cills and white-painted window frames. Flat ceiling with sloping sides, faced with matchboarding,laid herringbone fashion, and divided by ribs into panels: two wide and two narrower panels to each sloping side; flat centre portion of six panels depth and two panels width, with three lozenge-shaped panels along centre rib, each lozenge border with a stencil border on a cream ground.
Rear wall of chapel with 19th-century rectilinear window, with white-painted glazing bars and with moulded architrave painted with gold-brown graining internally; etched and translucent glass in large centre panel; double margin lights, the inner margin lights of translucent glass and the outer of etched red and blue-coloured glass. Flanking doorways of painted and grained six-panel doors, partly fielded.
NW. gallery, the gallery beam of gold-brown painted graining with modillion cornice, and supported by a circular iron column with white-painted shaft stamped with name of founder: "T. Jones & Sons Priory Foundry Carmarthen"; column cap with green-painted leaves and red-painted flower. Raked white-painted plaster soffit. Gallery front made up of two tiers of gold-brown painted and grained panels under a moulded cornice, the panels divided into four bays by pilasters (gold and brown fluted pilasters with fluted caps). Clock in centre with moulded circular case, the clock face bearing the words: "W.Davies & Son, Carmarthen".
Early-20th? Seats on ground floor with matchboarded panel backs, with simple shaped Gothic ends, with seat numbering in black and gold paint. Lateral banks of seats with two-panel backs; set askew with the external ends set forward. Numbered 3 to 11 on SW. and 28 to 36 on NE., with front seats (1 and 2 on SW. and 37 on NE.) at right angles to the Sedd Fawr. Centre paired bank of seats of six seats depth with continuous matchboarded seat divider, except where interrupted by the gallery column; seats 12 to 18 on SW. and seats 21 to 27 on NE.. "M30 Instrumental" two-manual electronic organ in front of centre bank of seats.
Curved Sedd Fawr faced externally with two tiers of matchboarded and stopped and chamfered panels, of eight panels width. Internally, the Sedd Fawr has a matchboarded back above a bench seat with shaped ends, resembling those to pews, and a red felt cover strip ornamented with fleur-de-lys and crosses. Flanking pulpit stairs, each of four steps to a turn, with one step above to pulpit dais; staircase balustrades have columnar newels with shaft rings, square chamfered caps and ball finials. Pulpit with semi-polygonal front, with matchboarded panels below the centre stringcourse and small moulded panels over; pine lectern. On pulpit front, two brass oil lamps, with wrought-iron brackets. Wood-framed chair on pulpit dais, with arms and with pedimented back faced with two tall raised and fielded panels; a small brass plaque on the chair back records: "Er cof am T.J.Evans, Llundain? 1932/ gan ei frawd/ D.H.Evans Lampeter". Semi-circulr headed plaster arch above, picked out in pale pink and in green and blue-grey. In Sedd Fawr enclosure, a gold-brown grained Communion table. Behind it, an Eisteddfod chair bearing the words: "Y gwir yn erbyn/ y byd. Eisteddfod Y.M.A./ Pwllheli/ 1914".
A large, ornate chair, of 19th or early-20th century?, to NE. of pulpit.
Parish memorial to NW. of pulpit, to Private John Davies, of Bayliau, killed in France in 1916. Memorial to SE. of pulpit, to Private Melville Donald Rodge, killed in Holland, 1944.
Gallery seating: raked and gold-brown grained and painted seating in the form of one paired bank of seats of four seats depth, narrower behind the front seat so as to allow for the gallery stairs. Single bench seat along back of gallery, against a matchboarded dado in front of walling, and against stick balusters as window guards in front of the windows.
On SW. of pulpit, a painted and grained door of four moulded panels at the entrance to the rear kitchen and vestry wing. Here, the larger room on NE. is the vestry, separated from the SW. kitchen by a full-height, two-tier, matchboarded and iron-framed partition, with "John Brinsmead & Sons/ London" on the iron frame. Over both kitchen and vestry, matchboarded ceiling with sloping sides and square vents. The window openings in the SE. or rear wall with chamfered jambs. NE. external entry to the vestry with tall, matchboarded door with stopped and chamfeed frame. SE. wall of kitchen with wall cupboard to either side of sink; piano in NE. corner. The vestry has a board for coat hooks on NW. and a two-tier wall cupboard in SE. corner.
OMJ
17/11/95 & 22/12/95
Visited 17/11/95 with the assistance of the Minister and the Chapel Secretary
The present chapel was built in 1863 by the famous chaple architect the Rev. Thomas Thomas [as the upper plaque records] but the front seems to have been rebuilt in 1933. The plaque recording the name of this significant architect is a rearety. - Built: 1811 Source:Horsfall-Turner
- Built: 1811 Source:Plaque
- Built: 1811 Source:1851 Census
- Cause: 1672 Source:Evan James
- Date Of Chapel: 1863 Source:
- Rebuilt - Stone Front: 1933 Source:BOW
- Rebuilt: 1863 Source:Evan James
- Rebuilt: 1863 Source:Plaque
- Renewed: 1933 Source:Plaque
- Renewed: 1933 Source:Evan James
- Architect: 1863 Thomas Thomas, Landore
- £ 559: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 200: 1851 Standing ()
- 200: 1851 ()
- 250: 1903 (Horsfall-Turner)
- 250: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- Chapel: 1998 (Blwyddiadur)
- Chapel: 2/12/2010 (Denominational website)
- Chapel: ()
- Welsh: ()
- Materials
- Stone
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Storey: Two Storey
- Style: Simple Round-Headed
- Gallery: End Gallery
- Plan: Gable Entry
- Pulpit Position: Rear Wall
- Window Glazing: Small Pane
- 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
2 thoughts on “Capel Yr Erw (welsh Independent), Cellan”
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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