Saron Independent Chapel

Saron Independent Chapel

A classical chapel built in 1849 and subsequently altered. The building is constructed of stucco with a hipped roof covered in 20th-century tiles and paired brackets at the eaves.

The front elevation presents a broad three-bay, two-storey facade on the narrower end, with a gabled centre section. A moulded string course divides the two floors. The upper floor features six pilasters, with a broad central bay containing an arched triplet window flanked by arched side windows in blank outer bays. All windows are round-headed within moulded surrounds. The centre triplet is stepped with a central keystone and pilasters between the lights, glazed with marginal glazing bars and Y-tracery in the head of the centre light and outer windows. The triplet sidelights are narrow with smaller panes. The side windows are slightly shorter and wider than the centre light and have no keystones. Plain plinths and caps run below the eaves, except the middle two which extend higher into the edge of the centre gable (the gable detail has been removed).

The ground floor is rusticated over a plinth, with channelled pilasters at the outer angles. Windows are square-headed with marginal glazing bars and stone sills with dressed faces, with voussoirs and keystones above. A large arched centre doorway features grained painted panelled double doors and a fanlight above with intersecting Gothic tracery.

The side walls are rendered with four windows to each floor. The upper windows are arched and the lower windows are camber-headed, both with similar glazing. Ventilation panels from the former gas lighting system are positioned to the side of each window.

The interior, apparently dating from the later 19th century, is unusually broad and features fine quality joinery, mostly painted in graining. A three-sided gallery is supported on four cast-iron fluted columns with foliate heads, with a gallery front that projects on a coved cornice and has a panelled soffit. The fine grained timber gallery front is composed of long horizontal panels separated by piers, each pier having two narrow vertical panels, with a dentilled top cornice broken forward over the piers.

The broad pulpit platform is approached by stairs on either side with turned balusters and heavily bossed newels with finials. Balustrades flank the pulpit, which is stepped and canted out with dwarf balustrades to the steps and panelling to the canted sides and front, crowned with a dentilled top rail. Panelling extends behind the platform across the organ recess. The great seat features similar panelling, curved at corners, with a thick moulded rail, square moulded panels to the front and similar vertical panels to the back.

Pews are arranged in three blocks with horizontal panels to the backs and shaped bench ends featuring quatrefoils. The centre block is centrally divided, the outer blocks are canted towards the pulpit with inward-facing pews flanking it. Gallery pews are similar in style, some curved to follow the gallery shape. The walls to the back and sides at both levels are wainscoted, and the main chapel walls are rounded at the angles.

At the rear, half-glazed lobby doors feature coloured and stained glass. The painted wooden ceiling is comprehensively boarded to considerable complexity. A dentilled cornice is curved at angles and stepped over the centre gallery window, beneath a deep horizontally boarded cove. The main ceiling consists of three panels, diagonally-slatted within borders with floral small bosses. Five fretwork circular vents are distributed across the ceiling, with the middle panel featuring one vent with a quatrefoil around a circle, and the outer panels each having two circular vents. Moulded thin ribs divide each panel, the centre forming a bordered rectangle and the outer two diagonally and horizontally crossed.

The entrance lobby has a patterned tiled floor with two large double wooden doors at either side serving the gallery staircase and a half-glazed door to the chapel. The stairways curve through ninety degrees to a wide single wooden panelled door with remaining steps to the gallery, flanked by close-boarded wainscoting.