Rhos y Gad Chapel and schoolrooms.

Rhos y Gad Chapel and Schoolrooms

A Calvinistic Methodist Chapel built in 1873, constructed in classical style as a single-storey building with a gable entry type. The walls are pebble dashed with rendered dressings and a pitched slate roof.

The entrance front faces west as a pedimented gable, featuring reeded angle pilasters that terminate in ball finials mounted on heavy squared bases, with a similar finial at the gable apex. The entablature is broken by a moulded arch over a recessed centrepiece housing three round-headed windows with moulded hoods and a sill band. Two side entrances flank the recessed arch, each with segmental moulded pediments with plain tympanum supported on fluted pilasters. The inner round-arched doorways are supported on flat pilasters with squared capitals and have panelled double doors under panelled tympanum. A circular ventilation grille with moulded surround sits at the apex of the gable. A slate tablet below the central windows reads "ADEILADWYD / O. C. / 1873".

The north and south elevations have reeded pilasters at the west angles and plain stressed quoins to the east. Each elevation displays five pairs of slightly recessed, round-headed four-pane sash windows with moulded hoods.

At the east end of the chapel are the vestry and schoolrooms, an L-shaped range extending to the north, built of stone with pebble dashed render and a slate roof. These annexes have square-headed panelled doors and slightly recessed nine and twelve-pane sash windows.

Interior

The plan incorporates a curved-ended chapel room set within an overall rectangular form, with lobbies in the resultant angles at the west end. The rounded inner wall features three round-headed windows of coloured glass echoing the arrangement in the west gable, and two square-headed doorways lead to the lobbies beyond. The walls are plastered with tongue and groove panelling to the lower half. The coved ceiling features deeply recessed plaster panels divided by moulded partitions, with the central three panels each containing ornate metal ventilation grilles with moulded surrounds.

The raking pews are arranged in a U-shape, respecting the curved west wall, with a central bank separated by a staggered divider. The pews are of pitch pine, doored and faced with tongued and grooved panelling.

The set fawr (choir gallery) is raised by two steps and is rectangular, with tongued and grooved panelling to the lower half and balustraded with turned balusters and newel posts surmounted by banded globe finials.

The pulpit is raised by three steps and comprises three bays, with a central projecting bay featuring three horizontal panels with a recessed cusped design to the upper panel. Each outer corner has a spiralled colonnette topped by a large scrolled acanthus leaf. The top rail is decorated with a dentilled frieze. The side bays are balustraded, as for the set fawr. A scroll-armed bench with beaded vertical struts (each topped by acorn finials, with larger globe finials at either end) is positioned nearby. The set fawr also contains two chairs with vertical beaded struts matching the pulpit bench, fixed solid back benches, and a flat-topped double-door cupboard on which stands a plain sloping bible box.

The vestry and schoolrooms have plastered walls, some with tongued and grooved panelling to the lower half, and some with picture and dado rails. Two rooms contain original decorative fire surrounds; the vestry retains a decorative cast iron fireplace. The schoolrooms have original benches and doors that are panelled and half-glazed.

A brass plaque with marble surround commemorates men of the parish who lost their lives in the 1914-18 World War.