Cefnarthen Chapel

The Cefnarthen Chapel is a building of group value, dating from the 18th century and constructed from roughcast and rubble stone with a slate roof. The roof overhangs at the gables, featuring brackets and cast-iron rainwater goods. The chapel's main facade faces north and is roughcast with stucco quoins. It contains two long, central windows, along with half-length outer gallery lights, all featuring small panes and arch-headed intersecting tracery in the heads and stone sills. Two doors, slightly out of alignment with the gallery lights, have depressed-arched heads and are fitted with later 19th-century panel doors, asymmetrical divisions, and crescent overlights. The east end wall is of rubble stone and bears a plaque commemorating the Reverend Peter Jenkins, who died in 1827. The rear elevation is a two-storey, two-window range with renewed 16-pane sashes, stone voussoirs, and sills. The west gable is slate-hung, and a large lean-to stable is attached to the west end, with a long room or vestry situated above. The stable is constructed of rubble stone and features a south-end stone chimney, three first-floor 12-pane sashes, two ground-floor doors to the left, and a square stable window to the right of the centre. A small mounting block is located to the right of the window. The north return is roughcast to match the chapel facade, with a single 16-pane sash to the first floor.

Inside, the chapel’s interior features pews arranged in three raked blocks against the back wall. The pews are simple, panelled box pews with large panels, finished with a cream colour in brown framing. Additional rows of pews continue down the side walls, narrowing towards the enclosed gallery stairs. A single bench sits in front of the central pews, leading to a unique "set fawr" and pulpit, arranged in a subtle interplay of curves. The great seat area is largely enclosed by curved-ended panelling, carefully grained in a dark colour with lighter framing, with the pulpit steps mirroring the curve on the left end. A central opening provides access with doors at each end. The left-hand door is adjacent to the foot of the curving stairs leading up to the pulpit, which has a moulded rail with stick balusters to the front and a boarded, curved back. The rail culminates in a spiral end with a carved rosette. The pulpit itself projects on a wine-glass stem (a Georgian form) and features a panelled front with concave-curved sides, four angle turned shafts with pendant finials, and a moulded rail. A panelled wooden pulpit back is pointed, imitates intersecting tracery, and is flanked by a single panelled box pew against the wall. A three-sided gallery is supported by four plain cast-iron columns. The gallery front is curved at the angles, with the curved panels broken forward. It has a deep frieze and cornice below the grained panels, alternate vertical panels with larger square panels in front, and even larger horizontal panels on the sides. A moulded top rail completes the design. The gallery has steeply raked tiers of open-back benches. The ceiling is plain plasterwork, featuring a single rose surrounded by six radiating serpentine leaves within a guilloche border.