Bethania Chapel is a Grade II listed building in the Neath Port Talbot local planning authority area, Wales. First listed on 29 March 2000. A 20th century Chapel.

Bethania Chapel

WRENN ID
standing-brick-plum
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Neath Port Talbot
Constituency
Neath and Swansea East MP: Carolyn Harris (Lab)
Country
Wales
Date first listed
29 March 2000
Type
Chapel
Period
20th century
Address
Bethania Chapel, Skewen, Coedffranc
OS grid reference
SS 722 972
Coordinates
51.65971, -3.8486
Source
Cadw listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

This is a free-style chapel, built in 1907. It is constructed of coursed rock-faced sandstone with red sandstone dressings, and has a slate roof. The front elevation has three bays, with a deep, moulded sill band below the round-headed upper windows. Below this, the angle pilasters are rusticated, while above them they are panelled. A pair of doorways are centrally placed, featuring round heads and double doors with fielded panels, topped with Y-tracery overlights. An engraved foundation tablet is set within the wide jamb between the doorways. The outer bays have two-light stone mullioned windows with flat heads. The upper level windows are also two-light, with wooden mullions and circular tracery lights formed by radial glazing. These are single windows in the outer bays and a triple window in the centre. The pedimented gable is defined by a red sandstone band which acts as the cornice, and contains a blind oculus engraved "Bethania 1907", bisected by a full-width inscription band reading "Addoldy yr Annibynwyr".

The right-hand side wall is roughcast and five windows wide, with segmental-headed lower windows and round-headed upper windows, both replacing original features. The left-hand side wall is similar but retains its original wooden glazing bars. The rear has a narrow, shallow lean-to centrally placed and a further lean-to on the left side, against the rear wall of the chapel, incorporating a boarded door.

The vestibule contains a three-light panel opposite the main doorway, featuring foliage in coloured glass, a motif repeated in the half-lit double doors leading to the main chapel. The main chapel has a panelled ceiling with heavy ribs and three ceiling roses, alongside a moulded cornice. The windows feature shafts to the rere arches. A three-sided raked gallery is supported by tapering, fluted cast iron columns with foliage capitals. The gallery front has cast iron panels with blind key and foliage friezes, and returns on the fourth side behind the pulpit, but does not extend the full width. The organ is positioned here, flanked by fluted pilasters and a moulded lintel, with moulded balusters at the front of the recess. Vestry doors with fielded panels are located on either side of the pulpit. The square pulpit has three round-headed panels, flanked by shafts with shaft rings. Elaborate balusters and newels are featured on the flanking steps. Behind the pulpit is a reredos of fielded panels. The "set fawr" or communion area has a back with fielded panels. Numbered pews have moulded ends.

Local climate

Bethania Chapel sits in one of the wettest parts of the UK, with an average of 1,380 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 97% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 96% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 28 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 69% of listed buildings. Of these, 12 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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