Salem Baptist Chapel

This is a classical-style Baptist chapel dating from the 18th century. It is constructed of coursed rock-faced stone with ashlar pilasters and dressings, covered by a slate roof. The front gable is divided into five bays by pilasters, featuring tall arched recesses in echelon to the three central bays. The windows have hood moulds with foliage stops and stone sills that terminate with foliage carving. A roughcast plinth band is set into the left side, featuring a slate foundation tablet. The central bay contains a round-headed doorway with an order of attached shafts having foliage capitals, a plain arch inscribed with the chapel’s name, and a hood mould pressed against the flanking pilasters. Double boarded and ribbed doors sit beneath an overlight with geometrical tracery, and above is a single round-headed window. Foliage capitals adorn the pilasters at cornice level. The bays to the left and right of centre incorporate single round-headed windows, while the narrower outer bays are blind, but feature foliage friezes at cornice level. An inscription in Welsh, recording the denomination, is also present on the cornice. The pediment is decorated with three blind round-headed arches springing from the pilasters of the central bays, complemented by ashlar spandrels. A cusped oculus is surrounded by a moulded surround and hood mould. A moulded eaves cornice completes the exterior.

The left-hand side wall, with four windows, is roughcast with round-headed windows. A low, L-shaped vestry extension with a hipped slate roof and a boarded door extends to the rear. The right-hand side wall, facing a side alley, is similar in appearance. Behind the chapel is an integral lower vestry with a gable at right angles to the chapel, featuring a segmental-headed two-light window on its gable facing the alley. Lean-tos have been added to the vestry’s side wall.

Inside, the vestibule has a four-light glazed panel opposite the doorway, incorporating coloured margin lights, flanked by replaced doors leading to the main chapel and gallery stairs. The main chapel contains a three-sided raked gallery on cast iron columns with moulded capitals, fronted by cast iron panels with openwork palmette friezes. A boarded and ribbed ceiling frames a large central panel and smaller outer panels. The pews have moulded ends. The set fawr, also incorporating a baptistery beneath floorboards, is raised up and framed by fluted balusters and a moulded hand rail. The pulpit front is comprised of two round-arched panels, flanked by balustrades with turned balusters integrated with the staircase balustrades. An elliptical arch behind the pulpit includes a single order of foliage springing from abaci above leafy consoles. Panelled doors flanking the reredos provide access to the vestry. A plain marble tablet on a black wooden background, commemorating the first minister, John Jones (d. 1878), is positioned on the right-hand side of the rear wall.