Capel Hendre and Vestry

Capel Hendre and Vestry

A gable-entry urban chapel in classical style, built in rock-faced sandstone masonry in small courses with ashlar dressings. The side and rear elevations are rendered. The roof is slate with a tile ridge.

The entrance front features a central two-storey panel containing two entrances and a triple window above. The doors have moulded archivolts and linked string courses. The upper storey is framed by shallow pilasters with a common sill on brackets; the archivolts are linked by a string course and corbels rise above. Tall flanking windows with ashlar stone surrounds flank this panel outside. A name stone is positioned at the centre of the pediment, and ashlar rustication occurs at the corners. A small projection to the roof verge has brackets beneath the bargeboards.

The windows are round-headed with horizontal glazing bars only. The flanking windows and the centre window in the ashlar panel are of two lights with mullions and simple tracery at the head. The others are single lights. Modern boarded doors with large fanlights and Y tracery serve as entrances. The side elevations have four-window two-storey fenestration; the windows are horned sash windows of four panes and margins with fixed lights in the heads.

Attached to the chapel by a short link is a large vestry with its main front on the same building line. The vestry façade is in rock-faced sandstone in small courses, finished in a formalised Dutch or Art-Deco style. A prominent parapet to the gable features convex volutes at the foot, stepping up to a hollow on each side which then steps up to a plain-sided top with an apex feature. A vertical decorative feature is positioned near the apex. A slightly advanced large panel contains an upper Diocletian window. Single-light side windows are present. A large flat-roofed porch with two front doors and a roundel window between projects from the main elevation. Both the porch and main elevation have rusticated quoins. The rendered sides have five sash windows. The rear is plain with a small annex.

The anteroom features patterned coloured tile paving and an obscured single window to the interior with small margin panes. A moulded cove to the ceiling incorporates a central acanthus feature. Pine joinery includes four-panel doors to the interior and to the gallery. Stairs on each side have handrails on balusters with turned bottom newels and brass nosings to the steps.

The main interior is of fine quality with a gallery carried on six Corinthian columns. The gallery front is in wide panels, vertically boarded, on large brackets, with curved corners and a central clock. Three tiers of seating are arranged at the sides and six at the rear.

The pulpit front is stepped forward twice. Two fretwork panels at the front feature short Gothic colonnettes; the flanking panels have balusters at the top. Winding stairs occupy each side. The sedd fawr has a similar balustered top and rounded corners.

The main pews are arranged in four blocks with two passageways and a staggered centre division. The side pews are angled or turned 90 degrees to face the pulpit. Pew-ends feature brass umbrella holders and enamel pew-numbers.

An acanthus leaf centre feature appears in the ceiling. A perimeter strip in diagonal boarding features fretwork-faced ventilators.

Minor service rooms and a corridor leading to the vestry occupy the area to the rear of the chapel.

The vestry interior is divided into a centre and two aisles by lines of moveable folding screening. A stage at the rear is raised approximately one metre. The moveable screens are in leaves five panels in height, with the top four glazed, running on top and bottom track, with doors at intervals. A barrel ceiling covers the central part, with some glazing in panels. Ventilators in circular frames decorated with bay leaves are positioned throughout.