Ebeneser Chapel

Ebenezer Chapel

A two-storey gable-entry chapel in Renaissance style, built in 1785. The building comprises a rendered, slate-roofed main structure with a single-storey hipped-roofed porch to the front (east) end and a small square lean-to extension to the rear.

The entrance elevation is strongly symmetrical. The ground floor features a hipped-roofed porch of three bays, with the central bay slightly advanced. The entrance stands beneath a moulded arch on Tuscan pilasters. Above the entrance is a moulded cornice topped by a pierced parapet with square angle piers capped with moulded pyramidal finials. Within the arch is a round-headed light with margin panes. Entry to the chapel is via two large panelled doors flanking the open porch. Flanking vestibules contain single windows to the front, which are square-headed recessed sashes with stressed, moulded, eared and shouldered, segmental-headed architraves. The first floor has four round-headed windows with stressed, moulded, eared and shouldered architraves and stressed keystones; these are slightly recessed sashes with margin panes. The roofline is mirrored by a moulded cornice on the gable parapet. Within the gable apex is a slightly stressed triangular panel containing stepped round-headed recesses. Below this is a rectangular slate plaque with stressed moulded surround bearing the name EBENEZER, flanked by two circular plaques reading O.C. (left) and 1785 (right).

The rear elevation has a gable parapet matching the front, is pebble-dashed rendered, and contains two tall square-headed lights. The side elevations, each of two storeys and four bays, have recessed sash windows with margin panes.

In front of the chapel stands a low rubble wall of Penmaenmawr granite, capped with roughly dressed blocks and featuring square piers of roughly dressed stone capped with moulded rendered caps. The central gateway is hung with cast iron gates with vertical spearhead-topped rails of alternating heights; below the lock stile the rails are diagonally set, forming a cross design.

Interior

Entrance doors lead into porch vestibules with gallery stairs and panelled double doors opening to the main chapel. The ground floor contains raking pitch pine box pews following the chapel's shape, with a central bank and staggered dividers. The set fawr at the west end, opposite the entrance, is rectangular with an advanced central bay flanked by diagonally set entrances. The lower part features tongued and grooved panelling beneath a pierced decorative frieze and moulded rail; the angles are articulated by newel posts with chamfered angles surmounted by globe finials. In the centre of the advanced bay is a reading desk with a sloping wooden top set on a highly ornate floriate brass stand, commemorating Richard Jones (died 1897).

The pulpit is rectangular and three bays, with the central bay advanced and side entrances raised by six circular stairs. The lower part consists of plain recessed panels with moulded surrounds; the upper part, advanced on a moulded base, is formed by pierced decorative panels with floriate designs in the central bay and fleur de lys designs in the flanking bays. The stairs have moulded rails on turned balusters with newel posts matching those of the set fawr. The chapel walls are plastered and painted, with tongued and grooved panelling to the lower part.

Behind the pulpit stands a tall aedicule formed by four fluted pilasters supporting a moulded cornice surmounted by widely spaced engaged globe finials. The aedicule has three bays: the central bay contains four recessed panels with moulded surrounds, whilst the flanking bays contain stained glass windows by Dudley Forsyth of London. The left-hand window commemorates Wm Jones (died 1911); the right-hand window commemorates R Prichard Jones (died 1910).

The gallery is supported on slightly tapering cast iron columns and is U-shaped with raking box pews. The gallery front comprises recessed panels containing vertically set tongued and grooved panelling beneath a highly ornate pierced floriate frieze and moulded rail. The walls are plastered and painted, with tongued and grooved panelling to the lower half and a moulded cornice set beneath the coving at the top. The ceiling has recessed panels of tongued and grooved panelling with moulded dividers and a central ventilation grille, surrounded by a highly ornate pierced floriate border with a fluted pendant drop.