Bethesda Chapel

Bethesda Chapel is a large, elaborately designed chapel dating from the 18th century, exhibiting Gothic detailing. It is constructed from local sandstone with a rock-faced finish, topped with a steep slate roof. Contrasting oolitic limestone is used for the masonry dressings, including door and window openings, plinths, string courses, and the quoins of the buttresses. The buttresses are a prominent feature, and are arranged with five at the front, three at the rear, and six on each side.

The front gable elevation is divided into three bays by the main buttresses and features numerous openings. A central traceried window with five lights is positioned above a short buttress rising to the window sill. Below, recessed twin doors are set within deep reveals and are topped by two-centred stone arches incorporating lintels and circles. The doors have two-panel leaves with central ribs. A circular roof space vent at high level includes louvres within four small circles, and the surround contains the chapel's name and date. Two-light outer windows have traceried heads and circular quatrefoils above. Label mouldings on the doors and windows terminate on floral stops. The crossed corner buttresses at the front support octagonal pinnacles with wrought-iron finials, and a similar pinnacle is at the apex of the gable. The side elevations are each divided into five bays by the buttresses, with tall windows incorporating two stages of tracery.

Inside, twin entrance doors lead from the anteroom to the chapel. The galleried interior is dominated by the quality of the joinery. The main seating is arranged in four blocks; the outer blocks are angled to face inwards, or are turned 90 degrees towards the front. All seat ends have umbrella stands and painted numbers. A fine pulpit, carved in the Gothic style with intricate traceried panels, has a heavily moulded top rail, tall newels with curved handrails to the side stairs, and matching panelling at the rear. A set fawr has a moulded rail supported on decorative cast-iron standards. A gallery is present on all four sides, returning almost to abut the organ behind the pulpit. An additional row of seats across the organ front, at a slightly lower level, completes the gallery seating at the rear of the pulpit and creates a visual link with it. The gallery front is panelled with a small openwork band in cast iron, and is carried on nine fluted cast-iron Corinthian columns. Both the front and the seating are curved at the corners. An additional staircase, located at the rear to the left of the pulpit, connects the gallery to the minister's room and vestry, which are situated in a small extension at the rear of the pulpit. The ceiling is partly flat, partly sloping, and divided into square or nearly square panels by larger and smaller ribs. The organ, by Norman and Beard (1908), has a Gothic style case with painted pipes.