- Nprn: 7350
- Summary: Brynrhiwgaled Independent Chapel and Schoolroom were first built in 1781. The cause was formed after a disgreement in the shared Independant and Baptist chapel at Llwyndafydd chapel became so severe that the Independants decided to leave and build their own. A piece of land was aquired from D Evans Esq. Penrhiwgaled, and although the congregation was small at first it soon grew quickly. The chapel was extended, and then rebuilt in 1828. A number of daughter chapel were formed: Maenygroes, Pisgah, Pen y Cae, Y Wern and Capel y Wig. The success of these to some extent limited the growth of this chapel, but it was again rebuilt in 1894 to the design of architect T.G. Thomas of Blaendyffryn.
The chapel is a gable entry building, constructed in the Classical style and stuccoed to the side and front elevations. A prominent feature of the front façade is the large arch, which encloses the central, round-headed doorway and the double, round-headed window above. There are tall, round-headed windows to the outer bays, and a further three similar ones to the side elevations... A semi-circular plaque, in the arch head, is inscribed: "Brynrhiwgaled /Addoldy yr Annibynwyr /Adeiladwyd 1894".
The vestibule is laid with red and black tiles, and leads to the two gallery staircases and the doorways through to the main interior. The seating is of open-ended bench pews, and there is a rectangular Sedd FawrStraight with two flights of 5 flanking steps to the pulpit dais, behind which is a plaster arch. There is a three sided gallery supported by 7 circular cast-iron columns, and with a projecting gallery front with openwork cast-iron strip of panels and an integral clock.
In 1905 (Royal Commission on the Church of England and other Religious Bodies in Wales and Monmouthshire) there were 420 sittings in the Sunday school which was valued at £966. - Description: 1. Chapel and schoolroom first built 1781. Rebuilt 1894-7 in Classical style, gable entry type, to the design of T.G. Thomas of Blaendyffryn. A prominent feature of this Chapel is the large arch in the facade. Status (1998): in chapel use.
2. A stuccoed 3-bay gable facade. In each end bay, a tall semi-circular headed window of 2-lights and 6 panes depth, the top panes are semi-circular headed under glazed spandrels. Apart from the semi circular louvered roof vent, the openings of the centre bay are enclosed by a giant semi-circular headed arch. The entrance is via the arched and articulated wooden doorway which is segmentally headed and under a fanlight with glazed circlet and spandrels. There is a pair of semi-circular headed windows located above the entrance; each of 4 panes depth with a common cill and linked archivolts. A semi-circular plaque, in the arch head, is inscribed: "Brynrhiwgaled /Addoldy yr Annibynwyr /Adeiladwyd 1894". The side elevations have 3 tall semi-circular headed windows, of 2-lights and 6 panes depth.
CD/Ecclesiastical/SN35NE from O. Jenkins.
CHN 11/05/04
1894. Stuccoed 3-bay gable façade about 10.36ms. Wide, painted pale green; raised stucco dressings of darker green. In each end bay, a tall semi-circular headed window of 2-lights and 6 panes depth, the top panes semi-circularheaded under glazed spandrels. Apart from semi circular louvred roof vent, the openings of the centre bay are enclosed by a giant semi-circular headed arch, with moulded archivolt on pilasters. Similarly arched and articulated doorway with painted and grained wooden doors, segmentally headed under fanlight with glazed circlet and spandrels. A pair of semi-circular headed windows above, each of 4 panes depth and with common cill and linked archivolts. A semi-circular plaque over, in the arch head, is inscribed: "Brynrhiwgaled /Addoldy yr Annibynwyr /Adeiladwyd 1894". Side elvations about 14.02 ms. Long; 3 tall semi-circular headed windows to each side elevation, of 2-lights and 6 panes depth, as the end front windows; the NW. elevation painted and the SE. of plain render. Plain rendered rear gable; bargeboard with finial. Slate roof.
Stone dwarf walls and iron railings, wall piers, gate piers and iron gates along front boundary with A486. Stone dwarf wall with slate coping and railings slightly canted inwards to "centre" gates. Railings with tripartite finials; square stone gate piers with stepped and truncated pyramidal coping and finials; gates have circular uprights with tripartite finials, alternately to lock and top rails. Square stone wall piers with coping at outer ends of railings, and stone wall along front boundary to either side.
Vestry: grey-painted corrugated-iron cladding to front gable and SE. lateral elevation; similar cladding to roof; rear gable end of render. 3 C20 windows with shallow top light in SE. elevation. Entrance in front gable.
Vestibule interior: floor of red and black tiles, laid lozenge-wise. Beige-painted outer vestibule wall; raked plaster ceiling with wood beam on corbels. 2 gallery staircases. Of 6 steps to turn, and upper flights of 8 steps, the gallery doors each of 2 tiers of 3 panels, above the bottom step of the upper flight. Matchboarded inner vestibule wall: pairs of 2 moulded-panel doors, & with incised brass latches, in its canted sides, and late-C19 rectilinear window in centre: gold "frosted" and pink lattice frosted glass angle blocks; gold-frosted margin panes; frosted-glass lozenge in centre; white glazing bars; pine frame.
Chapel interior: matchboarded dado, cream-painted plaster walls. Lateral window openings have chamfered jambs, splayed reveals, flat-stepped timber cills, and small-grain frosted glass to windows (early C20?). Front, gallery stair windows have brown-painted flat cills. Beige double-moulding above lateral walls and, above this, sloping sides to ceiling of painted plaster. Matchboarded ceiling painted cream; divided into 6 bays by wood-cased beams with attched beige-painted moulded ribs; each panel subdivided into 3 sub-panels by moulded ribs.
Three-sided gallery. Gallery beam cased in wood, beaded and with decorative string to its front face; it is supported by 7 circular cast-iron columns with puce-painted shafts and white caps; raked painted-plaster soffit with wall beam on corbel. Moulded cornice over gallery beam and projecting gallery front, curved at intersections, with openwork cast-iron strip of panels, laid in acontinuous sweep. Integral clock with gold-coloured metal rim.
Open-ended bench seats of varnished pine with matchboarded panel backs, the ends shaped and chamfered and rounded at the top and bearing black-numbered white plaques. Paired block of centre seats (about 3.18ms. Wide) with staggered seat divider, numbered 17-25 on NW. (26 removed for Technics electronic organ) and 27-36 on SE., with Reisbach upright piano in front of no. 27.
2 single blocks of lateral seats, each about 1.88 ms. Wide, with 2-panel matchboarded backs and 3/4 top mouldings, numbered 5-16 on NW. and 37-48 on SE.. 4 further seats at the front and facing on to the side of the Sedd Fawr and pulpit: 1-4 on NW. and 49-52 on SE..
Rectangular Sedd Fawr enclosure with similarly shaped ends to bench seat with slopingmatchboarded back; faced externally with 2 tiers of matchboarded panelling. Straight flights of 5 flanking steps to pulpit dais; varnished pine; chamfered square newels with caps and ball finials; turned balusters and ramped handrail. At front of dais, to each side of pulpit projection, curved parapet of short balusters on stopped and chamfered panels, with curved and 2-panel stopped and chamfered panel door below pulpit string. Central rectangular pulpit projection of 2 stopped and chamfered panels below the the pulpit string and, above it, 2 blind arcaded panels on black-painted columns shafts in rectangular frames. Fixed bench seat in pulpit against rear matchboarding and, above it, white plaster arch with moulded archivolt on caps picked out in gold.
Raked gallery. Gallery bench seats similar to those below, but with higher backs. 2 steps up from gallery stairs to gallery sides: each side with a 3-bay wall bench behind a paired seat on NE. and and a single seat on SW., closer to Sedd Fawr. At end of gallery, block of paired matchboarded seats of 3 seats depth; 4-bay wall bench at back with mini seat dividers.
Vestry interior: walls clad with horizontal matchboarding, brown-painted as dado, and cream above. Matchboarded ceiling with sloping sides; 1 centre truss. Later-C20 storm lobby at NE. end.
OMJ
25/2/96
Visited 23/1/96 by kind permission of the Minister
NMR Investigator photos: 960037/35A & 36A and (not developed yet as at 27/2/96). - Built: 1894 Source:Plaque
- Built: 1781 Source:Horsfall-Turner
- Built: 1894-1897 Source:Evan James
- Date Of Chapel: 1894 Source:
- Rebuilt: 1894 Source:Horsfall-Turner
- Architect: 1894-1897 T.G. Thomas, Blaendyffryn
- £ 966: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 300: 1903 (Horsfall-Turner)
- 420: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- Chapel: 1998 (Blwyddiadur)
- Chapel: 01/2011 (RCAHMW)
- Materials
- Rendered
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Storey: Two Storey
- Style: Classical
- Gallery: On Three Sides
- 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
Key Characteristics of this Chapel
Images from Coflein
Map
- Grid Reference: SN39895508
- Address: PENTRE'R-BRYN
2 thoughts on “Brynrhiwgaled Welsh Independent Chapel, Pentre'r-bryn”
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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