Gibeon Chapel

Gibeon Chapel

A large chapel with a gable entry, designed in reduced classical style. The building is rendered over stone and covered with a slate roof.

The front elevation faces west and comprises a two-storey, three-bay composition. The outer bays are slightly advanced, with cornices that define a broken triangular pediment decorated with dentils. These mouldings continue outwards over flanking angle buttresses that appear as pilasters with corbelled capitals. The central feature is a segmental arched doorway with a high segmental cornice supported on pairs of tapering round columns with composite capitals. A pronounced hollow moulding forms the hoodmould. The entrance contains double panelled doors and a multipane overlight with Art Nouveau glass bearing the inscription "Gibeon Capel yr Annibynwyr". The plinth is of snecked stone. Above the doorway is a Venetian window with hollow moulding to sill and hoodmould. The central round-headed light contains a replaced 6-pane window, whilst the flanking lights contain horned sashes with coloured margin glazing. In the apex sits a roundel with a pronounced hoodmould containing a vent. The advanced flanking bays have square-headed recessed panels, each containing a window to both storeys. These are 4-pane horned sashes with margin glazing under segmental heads; that to the lower right has been replaced.

The south side is five windows arranged over two storeys, with each window separated by an angle buttress with offsets topped with cement tile copings. The windows are horned sashes with margin glazing under segmental heads. Those towards the right end are narrower and blind. The west gable end has a single small round-headed window in the centre with margin glazing and a small square vent in the apex. The north side features similar windows to the south side.

A vestry adjoins at right angles, set back to the right. It is a rubble stone, single-storey structure with a replaced slate roof. The front of the vestry, which faces west, has four windows and a small porch to the right end. The windows are mainly replaced, set in yellow brick surrounds with shallow segmental heads. The left side has two windows and the right side one window. The east side contains a 6-over-6 pane sash window with further openings largely obscured. The north gable end has two pairs of windows; that to the far left is an insertion.

Interior

A vestibule with half-lit panelled doors featuring Art Nouveau glass leads into the chapel. Between these doors is a 3-light window, and flanking them on either side are 2-light windows, also with Art Nouveau glass. Stairs ascend to the gallery from each side of the vestibule. The gallery is three-sided, supported on plain cast iron columns with rings, and its front is wood panelled and supported on small brackets.

A segmental arch marks the rear of the pulpit, styled similarly to the front entrance with hollow mouldings and dentils. It is supported on square pilasters with composite capitals in high relief. Under the arch is a marble tablet commemorating T H Thomas, minister for 47 years, who died in 1923. The pilasters continue above the segmental arch and support the moulded jambs of the round-arched west window. The pulpit itself is dark panelled with a curved front, a cornice with dentils, and a frieze of pierced trefoils. It is reached by flanking dog leg stairs with turned balusters. A set fawr is surrounded by open iron railings with a moulded wooden handrail, featuring twisted iron uprights decorated with scrolls and flowers.

Planked pews with carved bench ends fill the chapel. Five tiers of pews occupy the rear of the gallery and three occupy the sides. The organ is positioned on the north side of the gallery near the pulpit.

The ceiling is high with a cornice featuring a frieze with flower bosses along its base. The ceiling surround is wood panelled, with two large foliate ceiling roses in high relief and smaller roses positioned at angles and sides of the surround.

The west window contains stained glass including a cross. The remaining windows are fitted with pink and green margin glazing, with the central light to the gallery containing yellow glass.