Ivor English Congregational Chapel, Dowlais CF48 3LR

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Ivor English Congregational Chapel,
Dowlais

CF48 3LR

Ivor English Congregational Church, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, was formed in 1859. A group was formed in the winter of 1859-1860 to provide for English Independents in Dowlais and Merthyr Tydfil. A special fund was set up, and three cottages were purchased from the Dowlais Iron Co., in Ivor Street, with ground lease for 99 years.

Contributions from the local Welsh Independent churches and individuals in Merthyr enabled the establishment of a building committee. The building stone was laid on 22 May 1860, the chapel opened in March 1861. Fortunes increased for a short period but congregations fell away sharply in 1938 and generally declined thereafter despite improvements to church accommodation. The church became part of the United Reformed Church in 1972.

Grade II Listed

History
English Congregational chapel of 1860. The main founder, George Houlson, was brought from Bristol by the Dowlais Iron Company in 1857 to be the first headmaster of the Dowlais Infants School. The church was originally funded by Bristol people (at the instigation of the Will's tobacco family) seeking to help English speaking people at the Dowlais Iron Works. The site was obtained from the Dowlais Iron Company for £175 and a lease of £2.7s.6d (£2.38) per annum. The foundation stone was laid on 22/5/1860 by H.O. Wills of Bristol, the chapel was built by John Gabe for £811.10s.0d (£811.50) and it was opened 1/4/1861. The church was renovated in the early 1870s, in 1895 when the organ was installed, in 1928-9 and 1951. A further major renovation has been undertaken c1992-2002 with the aid of a Biffa award. The stuccoed forecourt walls have been altered since the 1975 listing.

Description
Exterior
Chapel, painted stucco with slate deep-eaved roof and pediment gable. Two-storey gable front with moulded pediment, frieze beneath with evenly-spaced console brackets and three-bay front with moulded cornice over ground floor, plinth and Ionic pilasters, 4 to ground floor, 2 to upper floor. Large arch-headed plaque in gable '1860 Ivor English Independent Chapel'. Upper floor has arched windows with moulded surrounds, keystones, impost blocks and impost band. Centre triple window with narrower slightly shorter side lights, the centre light equal in size to those in the flanking bays. Ground floor has square-headed 4-pane window in moulded surround with sill brackets each side of centre arched doorway. Doorway has moulded arch with keystone on crude Ionic half columns. Double boarded doors. Raised plinth. Four-bay side walls with very long arched lights, impost band and brackets in eaves frieze.

Rear vestry/hall with window each end.

Interior
Plastered walls, 3-sided gallery on 7 iron columns with deep cove under cornice beneath painted panelled front of alternate long and square panels with centre clock. Painted grained box pews in 3 blocks.

Later C19 platform with stairs each side, turned balusters and big turned newels with ball finials. Inner stair rails continue along platform front to panelled pulpit with arched-panelled front in contrasted coloured wood.

Boarding behind pulpit under 1895 organ gallery which has ornate iron rail. Organ recess behind has broad arch on short pilasters. Large Peter Conacher 2 manual pipe organ.

Raked gallery pews, painted with large panels to backs and shaped bench ends. Moulded cornice. Ceiling has centre rose within 2 moulded rings, and is divided by ribs.