Mountain Chapel

Mountain Chapel
from Google Streetview

Tuesday 13 July 2010

Cambria Arch. Survey 2002/3

This survey by Cambria Archaeology was commissioned by Paul Williams, the developer of the chapel site, and was part of the archaeological condition placed on planning consent (this was kindly donated to the History Society when Mr Williams sold Katelios and moved away). The proposed development of the site involved the partial demolition of the chapel leaving the base walls standing to a height of about a metre and leaving it as part of a garden feature.

To the rear a new house was to be built beyond the graveyard and adjacent to the small vestry.

The report describes the chapel as rectangular with an arched double front door. The vestry was also rectangular with three entances on the ground floor and a brick chimneystack. Part of the ground floor was of rough cobbles, divided into two with bays with a tongue and groove partition and would have been used as a stable. This partition contained graffiti on its south side, which, although difficult to read, read as:-

H Glanvel? (Glanville)
W Morse?
Margo...play mor?
J R Lewis
N G Lewis
Owan Jones
Frank James
Full time Rabbit Trapper
John Lewis
Owen Jones
Oct 7th 1947
Very wet
Very wet day July 3 1932
April 21st 1936

The entrance on the western side was of double width (possibly for a cart) giving access to the northern ground floor. This had been partially blocked by a wall and had recently contained a chemical toilet and had a cement floor.

The northern entrance gave access to a flight of stone stairs leading to the first floor. The top of the stairs was boxed in with panelling. In the northern wall were the remains of a small range.

The new building has retained the structure of the vestry.



Ground plan
(The numbering used on this plan is NOT the one used by the History Society
in their grave pIctures and booklet)


Floor plan
Exterior elevations




Exterior gable elevations


Chapel interior - view N



Chapel - view S

Chapel - view NW

Chapel - view N


Chapel - view NE

Chapel interior - view south

Vestry - first floor

Vestry - looking east (western side)

Vestry - old stable
south ground floor - view NW

Vestry - detail of west door

Vestry - north side

Report 2003/19 Project 45433 Cambria Archaeology.