- Nprn: 8725
- Summary: Bethania Baptist Chapel was built in 1851 and rebuilt in 1894 in the later Vernacular style of the long-wall entry type. By 1999 Bethania had closed and stood disused.
RCAHMW, February 2010 - Description: Chapel dated 1851. Rebuilt/modified 1882-94(?). Built in the later Vernacular style, long-wall entry type. Status (1999): closed and disused.
Small rectangular single storey Baptist Chapel orientated approximately northeast - southwest, with chapel house joined to the northeast and its entrance front in the southeast side. Pitched slate roof with overlapping black ridge tiles.
Exterior: southeast entrance front - plain rendered front elevation (originally false ashlar) with inset forward projecting rectangular entrance porch. 2 rectangular windows with fixed leaded lights (rectangular quarries) in splayed recesses centred above porch. Entrance porch surmounted by blocking course with chamfered cornice, which is returned to the sides of the porch. Centre of blocking course is a winged segmental-headed inscribed tablet, "BETHANIA / 1851 / ADDOLDY'R BEDYDDWYR". Central rectangular doorway below with double 2 panelled doors (upper of crinkled glass, lower vertical T&G). Flanking are rectangular windows with projecting rendered sills. Wood transom and 2 mullions, 6 panes of rectangular leaded quarries. All ecxcept upper central pane are fixed. Low projecting plinth returned to sides of porch and along front of main building.
Southwest gable - plain rendered, slates flush with rake of gable.
Northwest rear side elevation - false ashlar style rendering. 2 recessed rectangular sash windows of 16 small panes with projecting slate sills.
North-east gable elevation is false ashlar rendered. Chapel house adjoining.
Interior: porch/vestibule - plain rectangular plaster ceiling and walls to wood skirting. False dado of gloss paint. Floor of red tiles laid in herring-bone fashion with inset black tile fringe frieze. Exterior wall has central rectangular doorway with convex curved jambs, flanked by rectangular window openings with moulded architraves and slightly projecting wood sills. Fixed umbarella stand rail to front corners. Opposite, 2 single 4 panelled doors with moulded architraves ( 2 lower panels of wood with bolection moulding, 2 upper of obscured glazing), separated by coat rail at just below lintel height give access to main body of chapel to either side of set fawr.
Main interior - 3 bay plaster ceiling, bays divided by 2 bead chamfered beams laid transversely. Central bay contains central square recessed T&G panel with moulded surround. Original iron suspension bracket for paraffin lamps remain on each beam adjacent to their electric equivalents.
Walls - gloss painted plaster to back rails of pews and boarded floors. Bakerlite controls assumed for ventilation in the centre of rear and side walls. To either side of reredos panel in the southeast wall are 2 rectangular windows with splayed reveals and heavily sloping sills. 2 rectangular windows in northwest wall have splayed reveals and level wood sills. 2 aisles lead from entrance doors, around the angled sides of the set fawr and divide the raked bank of pews into 3 blocks; the side blocks are angled into the centre - mirroring the angled corners of the set fawr, the central block faces the front of the set fawr and is subdivided by a straight stepped divider. To either side of the set fawr a single row of pews is transversely arranged to face it side-on. Interior fitted furnishings painted to imitate wood. The pews are of the box type with flat top rails, integral level bookrests and plain rectangular panelled interiors with dividers to seat level only. Panelled front rail with bolection moulding. Before set fawr seating with settle type ends uses front rail as back. Ornate 2 pedal organ centre front of set fawr.
Set fawr - rectangular with angled front corners, rectangular panels with bolection moulding on exterior. External bench seating to angled front corners and front, interrupted to provide place for organ. Plinth. Plain rectangular internal panelling with slight fielding. Fixed internal seating to front, sides and rear, including around base of pulpit. Shaped desk projects from centre of front rail. Entrances in right side and at rear left of stair to pulpit. To the rear and right of pulpit is an integral box pew with own entrance to side. Rectangular table with turned legs infront of pulpit. To either side are modern armchair and small desk with solid scroll fronted sides.
Pulpit - canted design - angled front corners forming hexagonal shape. All facets are of 1 panel. Flat top rail, moulded projecting cornice, panelling as set fawr, except bolection picked-out in black. Projecting padded pulpit desk. Entrance to left up steps, through panelled door without moulded cornice. Stairs have curved bannister rail square balustrade and turned newel with annulated domed finial. Interior panels plain with slight fielding. Minister's bench against rectangular white painted reredos panel in Art Deco style with flattened reed mouldings and pilaster strips to either side, each with brass open fret foliated brackets supporting brass paraffin lamps. Moulded cornice with plain frieze below runs along the top of the central reredos panel and the flanking windows and is returned at the sides with a plain rectangular stop at the base of the sills.
Other fittings- no clock remains, however stain and nail in northeast wall show its former position and indicate an Act of Parliament type clock.
Chapel house - 2 storey with pitched slate roof on lower level than chapel, southeast elevation stepped back from front of chapel. False ashlar rendering, sash widows to front and rear. Main entrance in southeast façade near northeast wall of chapel. Modern kitchen and bathroom addition to northeast.
Small forcourt spearheaded rails on low rendered wall. Matching gates.
Visited 13/06/95 - Built: 1851 Source:
- Cause: 1906 Source:I Hughes
- Date Of Chapel: 1894 Source:
- Rebuilt With Porch: 1894 Source:
- £ 250: 1905 (RCCEORBWM)
- 60: 1999 Sittings (Hughes, I)
- 100: 1905 Sittings (RCCEORBWM)
- Disused: 1999 Closed (I hughes)
- Other: 2011 (I Hughes)
- Materials
- Monument Type: CHAPEL
- Form: Documents
- Style: Vernacular
- Gallery: X
- Plan: Long-wall entry
Key Details of this Chapel
Key Dates of this Chapel
Costs during this Chapels History
Capacities during this Chapels History
Changes of Status its History
Key Characteristics of this Chapel
3 thoughts on “BETHANIA BAPTIST CHAPEL (BAPTIST CHAPEL)”
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converted into a house
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