- Nprn: 8633
- Summary: Bethesda Methodist Chapel was built in 1777, rebuilt in 1818 and rebuilt again in 1871. The present chapel, dated 1871, is built in the Italianate style with a gable-entry and Venetian round-headed window over the porch, to the design of architect Richard Owens of Liverpool. A chapel house is situated alongside and a complex of Sunday-School buildings at the rear. A twin-arched and round-headed porch was added in 1906.
RCAHMW, February 2010 - Description: The cause began in 1777 and the chapel was first built before 1780; rebuilt 1818 and 1871; porch of 1906. Built in the Romanesque style, gable entry type. 1871-72 cost of £2081. Two aisles on the ground floor. Status (2000): in use.
An imposing 2 storey Calvinistic Methodist chapel in the renaissance style. Main axis (of chapel) orientated approximately north-south. Complex consists of rectangular chapel at north end, central east-west cross wing with ground floor vestry and kitchen, upper storey rooms and basement containing organ bellows, and southern schoolroom wing with former kitchen below. Adjacent to the west of the latter is a range of single storey out-buildings, including stabling, arranged around a small rectangular courtyard. Double fronted chapel house, 2 rendered stacks, arranged at right angles to chapel linked by low pitched roofed passage to central cross-wing. Rubble masonry walls with stressed rock-faced rusticated quoining to external angles. All buildings have pitched slate roofs with red ceramic ridge tiles. Metal finials at gables of chapel only.
Chapel exterior: north entrance front - stressed freestone dressings, projecting moulded raking cornice supported at angles on projecting kneelers. Gable string course with central date stone (concave corners), inscribed "BETHESDA / 1777. 1818. 1871." Below - tripartite window arrangement of 3 stilted semicircular arched recesses. Tripartite arched hoodmould with foliated stops. Quoined architrave. Tympana contain blind cusped circular tracery. Central widow arch and sash at higher level than those to either side. Central arch supported on projecting pilasters with impost/capitals at same level as impost bands at base of flanking arches. Impost band connecting single flanking round-headed window recesses, which contain 2 recessed sashes, one above the other: hoodmoulds rest on impost band; upper sash is round-headed with projecting sill on block topped consoles, lower is rectangular with lintel and projecting sill on consoles. Central entrance porch: classical style triangular pediments to front and sides; blocking course; front pediment of porch - date stone (concave corners), 1906; continuous pediment cornice returned to sides of porch; recessed canted front corners; paired rectangular entrances with architrave; projecting elongated keystones and ovolo moulded reveals; double doors - each with glazed upper part, glazing bars forming half of circular design, below 2 vertical panels (bolection moulded); projecting sides of porch with 3 light fixed leaded window with architrave, projecting keystone, and sills supported on blocks with flush apron; projecting string course returned to sides at top of and around keystones to doorways and windows. Projecting plinth with freestone chamfered capping at base of porch returned front of main façade.
East and west elevations: 5 window side elevations - projecting freestone sills. East side has quoined architraves of yellow brick. 1st storey round headed sashes, cambered below; west elevation pebble-dashed. South elevation - projecting raked cornice, pebble-dashed to lower east-west cross-wing.
East-west crosswing: 2 brick gable-end stacks (west stack is pebble-dashed); east end - segmental headed sashes with matching brick architraves. 1st storey central window flanked by smaller and slightly lower windows. Below paired sash to the north of porch (against west gable of chapel house). Southern elevation - pebble-dashed. Projecting cement render sills. 2 segmental headed windows to west of large segmental headed tripartite sash at junction of southern school wing at east end.
Southern school wing: 2 brick gable stacks; southern gable - pebble-dashed. Raking cornice. 1st storey has 2 segmental headed sashes with projecting cement render sills. East and west elevations - 1st storey has 4 segmental headed sashes. Brick quoined architraves. Below 2 wide rectangular sashes with freestone lintels, brick quoined architraves and projecting cement rendered sills. North half of ground floor taken by rectangular passage to inner courtyard. RSJ lintels. West elevation pebble-dashed. Access to basement of crosswing and lower kitchen from passage.
Interior of chapel: north porch - plain plaster walls and ceiling. Stone flagged floor. Splayed reveals to side windows. 2 double doors in projecting door recess lead to internal vestibule. Doors as exterior, except 2 vertical leaded lights. Vestibule - south wall is 3 sided bay with central fixed window and single 4-panelled doors in angled sides lead to main body of chapel. Plaster ceiling and walls. Moulded cornice. Details as main chapel. Ornate tile floor. Stairs to gallery at either side through round headed arches with beaded chamfer on plaster acanthus consoles. Stairs against north wall of chapel. Moulded bannister. Half-landing in angles. Panelled single doors lead to open stairs against side walls, flanking rear bank of seating in gallery.
Main interior - "Adam" style plaster ceiling with large central roundal with pendant, similar smaller roundels at angles, connected by linear friezes of linked oval paterae, with rectangular lattice ventilation grills. Moulded cornice. Plaster false ashlar walls, moulded dado and vertical T&G below. Raked gallery floor with banks of gated pews. Wall ventilators. Gallery front - solid, panelled, 3 sided with rounded angles. Carried on 10 fluted cast iron columns. Corinthian capitals. Bead chamfered architrave. Each capital has adjacent cast iron scrolled bracket against architrave, which support panelled soffit to front and sides. Modillions. Sides of 3 bays - each bay comprises 3 rectangular bolection moulded panels interspersed by cross-shaped panels with foliated bass relief interiors. Centre front of gallery is round clock, "O. OWEN / 8 CASTLE ST. LIVERPOOL", flanked by rectangular panels with rounded sides respecting clock.
Ground floor wall details as for gallery. All windows have splayed reveals, wood sills and stop-chamfers to jambs. Windows in gallery cut dado, those below have sills at dado level. Doors are panelled with moulded architraves to dado height. Ground floor has slightly raked floor, 3 banks of gated pews, raked side banks are arranged to face the central bank. Central bank has staggered divider. Pews have rounded upper rail, stop-chamfered panelling and integral level book rest.
Set fawr: situated at south end; 3 sided with angled front corners; opposing side entrances; solid panelled front and sides: single recessed panels, shouldered on the vertical, set between fluted projecting pilasters, with matching panelled capitals; jutting upper rail with projections over capitals; projecting plinths to pilasters below plain jutting rail; rounded internal seating with T&G back; central hinged desk - ebonized details; supported on garlanded consoles projecting from fluted rectangular angled pilasters; elaborate round headed brass WWI memorial to front - weeping female figure to either side, memorial set between rounded pilasters with moulded rounded arch above, stressed keystone inscribed "PRO / PATRIA"; cross in either spandrel; below is swag with inscription "I'R DEWRION" in central garland. Rectangular table with turned legs before pulpit. 4 collection bowls. 3 arm chairs with ball finials to front uprights arranged before pulpit - central has carved grape vines on back panel, side chairs have simple open fret petal motif in back panel.
Pulpit: 3 bays; opposing side entrances; solid central bay with angled desk supported on consoles; indented moulding between; Round headed brass memorial to WWII similar to that in set fawr, crocket capitals to rounded pilasters; swag; projecting moulded central rail returned to sides and flanking bays; panelled base; panelled angled sides - moulded upper rail with foliated carvings in panels; flanking side wings - moulded bannister, turned balustrade, below cross-shaped panel with foliated carving. Stair wings to either side - bannister, balustrade, open string, turned newel posts flank top and base of stairs, banded ball finials.
Behind pulpit is panelled frieze topped by pointed arched panels, base of large jettied piped organ in gothic style case - built by "ALEX R. YOUNG & SONS / ORGAN BUILDERS, MANCHESTER / 1906"; keyboard to left side of pulpit. 2 single doors to either side of set fawr lead to passage in crosswing.
Memorials: to right of set fawr, on west wall beneath gallery is marble tablet with clipped corners to the memory of Y Parchedig William Roberts, Minister from 1808-1864; opposite, on east wall is matching tablet to the memory of Y Parch. D. Cwyfan Hughes, B.A., Minister from 1919-1961.
Vestry: rectangular room off crosswing passage - plaster ceiling and false ashlar walls, picture rail, wood fireplace surround, plain dado rail; original furnishings including rectangular turned leg table, smokers bow Windsor chairs and cast iron and wood benches; round wall clock, "RUSSELLS LTD / 18 CHURCH ST. / LIVERPOOL", on projecting chimney breast.
Rear wing schoolroom through kitchen, also accessible through internal double doors from east side porch. Rectangular with 4 bay T&G ceiling. Recessed central vault spans length of ceiling - linear central ventilation grill, tie beams supported on scrolled wooden wall brackets, exposed vertical struts. Moulded cornice. Plaster walls. Moulded dado with vertical T&G, interrupted by window openings. Windows have straight reveals, dado returned into reveals. North wall has 2 panelled doors to left, furthest left to kitchen, other to passage. In same wall to right in recess behind shoulder height T&G panelled screen is double door to west side porch. Single doors have moulded architraves to dado. Boarded floor. Rectangular platform at centre, against south wall. On this stand a rectangular turned leg table with angled desk, and a carved eisteddfod chair - "Eisteddfod Cefn y Waen, 1907". The platform has a turned balustraded rear rail with short sides; turned corner and end posts with cup and cover finials. Original wood and cast iron benches, "Pearson & Brown", arranged in 3 blocks, 2 aisles. Piano. Dumb-waiter to kitchen below.
Small Sunday school room to south-east of main chapel - plain plaster ceiling and walls, projecting dado rail. Carved marble fireplace below paired sash window, low wood benches with open railed backs, free standing cupboards and piano. Window has straight reveals. Panelled door to passage.
Chapel forecourt: low rubble wall with freestone capping, horizontal rails between raised integral masonry piers. Double wrought iron gates to north entrance porch - alternate long and short verticals with lower ending at central rail, foliated finials to short verticals, long verticals have crocket style finials. Hooped fencing to east side.
GAT (visited 15/06/95). - Porch: 1906 Source:
- Built: 1777 Source:Plaque
- Built: 1780A Source:Religious Census
- Cause: 1777 Source:I Hughes
- Date Of Chapel: 1871 Source:
- Rebuilt: 1871 Source:Capel
- Rebuilt(1): 1818 Source:Plaque
- Rebuilt: 1818 Source:Religious Census
- Rebuilt(2): 1871 Source:Plaque
- Architect: 1871 Richard Owens, Liverpool
- £ 6045: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 850: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- 170: 1851 (Religious Census)
- 825: 1999 (Hughes, I)
- 116: 1851 (Religious Census)
- Chapel: 1999 (I Hughes)
- Chapel: 2011 (Denominational Yearbook)
- Materials
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Building
- Storey: Two storey
- Style: Lombardic
- Gallery: On three sides
- Plan: Gable Entry
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
3 thoughts on “BETHESDA CHAPEL (WELSH CALVINISTIC METHODIST;CAPEL MAWR), AMLWCH (CAPEL MAWR)”
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still a chapel place of worship
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