Rhoscolyn Methodist Chapel, railings and gates

Rhoscolyn Methodist Chapel, Railings and Gates

A large single-storey Methodist chapel with Renaissance-style detailing, built in 1906 of rubble masonry rendered and pebble-dashed with rendered dressings. The roof is hipped slate with red clay ridge tiles.

The main entrance elevation is strongly symmetrical. At its centre stands a panelled door beneath a gabled porch, flanked by tall round-headed sliding sash windows with margin panes and moulded surrounds with stressed keystones. Above the doorway are three stepped round-headed lights with a corbelled sill and a stressed, moulded, shaped hoodmould carried down to corbels. This shaped hoodmould is mirrored in a shaped centrepiece of the parapet above, linked to it by moulded strips that frame stressed lettering reading "1906 / RHOSCOLYN". This raised panel is topped by a fluted urn finial on a moulded plinth. The parapet steps down on either side, terminating in raised blocks with floriate panels, stepped caps and urn finials above engaged angle pilasters. These pilasters are reeded in their upper sections only and have recessed floriate panels at their heads.

The return elevations comprise four bays, each with segmental-headed windows containing slightly recessed sash windows with margin panes. The rear elevation has two round-headed windows. The gabled porch has a slate roof with bargeboards supported on timber piers with chamfered angles.

A small yard in front of the chapel is enclosed by a low rendered wall with wrought iron railings and gates. The pedestrian gates flanking the chapel entrance have chinoiserie-style decorative piers with moulded caps surmounted by ball finials. The gates have arched head rails and horizontal upper, lock and base rails, with upright railings of varying heights topped by fleur de lys finials. The flanking low rendered wall with railings terminates with square piers with stepped caps. A gateway to the left has a similar pier, with similarly detailed gates incorporating a circular design between the two lock rails.

The interior is accessed through a rectangular lobby with opposing side entrances leading into the chapel. The chapel contains a set fawr (a raised lectern or pulpit gallery) at the opposite end, with pitch pine fittings including three ranks of raking pews. The set fawr is raised by two steps, rectangular in form with an advanced central bay flanked by entrances. Its lower part features recessed panelling with turned balusters above supporting a moulded rail; turned newel posts occupy the angles.

The pulpit is raised by three steps and is rectangular with a slightly advanced central bay formed by recessed panelling with a central raised section under a moulded cornice. It has side entrances with turned balusters and newel posts. Behind the pulpit are three tall recesses with open-pedimented, moulded wooden surrounds: the central recess has a shallow pointed head, while the lower flanking recesses have square heads.

The ceiling comprises diagonally set tongued and grooved panels, recessed with moulded wooden dividers and circular pierced decorative ventilation grilles. The walls are plastered and painted with tongued and grooved panelling under a dado rail to the lower part.