English Baptist Chapel, Alfred Place, Aberystwyth

THE MEMORIAL STONE OF THE NEW ENGLISH BAPTIST CHAPEL, ABERYSTWYTH. The interesting ceremony of laying the memorial stone of a new Baptist chapel was performed on Wednesday last, by Evan Matthew Richards, Esq., M.P. for the county of Cardigan. …. The spot selected for the erection of the new chapel - the work having already commenced is situate in Alfred- place, and near to the Old (Welsh) Baptist Chapel. The plan of the building is a parallelogram, the inside measurement being 56ft. by 33ft. The back and side walls are to be built of local stone, and being to a great measure hid by other buildings they are quite devoid of other ornament. The front, which looks to Albert-place, is to be built of the best selected local stone, worked square, random, and neatly pointed, and all designs are to be in Ruabon freestone. The said front will have a prominent central doorway with deeply-recessed jambs, columns, and foliated capitals, and deeply-sunk head, finished with a label mould. Above it there is to be a large window with triple lights in the bottom part, and the upper part filled with geometrical tracery. The other windows are to be finished with recessed quoins, archivolts, and labels. The two main angles are to be carried up with quoins the springing of all arches over windows to have a neck mould, and the principal gable to be finished with a moulded factable, springers, apex stone, and finials. The whole ground floor will be seated with open pews constructed upon the most approved design, and there is to be a gallery across one end with a very ornamental panelled front. The whole will seat about 450 persons. The interior will have a pleasing appearance, the ceiling being a very ornamental feature, springing from each side wall with a large cove, the central part being straight. The whole to be panelled and finished with enrichments, drop pendants, &c. Every attention will be paid to the ventilation by a system of tubes in the ceiling. The minister's platform is to be constructed of best pitch pine, and polished. All wood work will be stained and varnished; all windows are to be glazed with obscure sheet glass except the large central window, which is to be filled with coloured glass. The whole work has been let on contract to Messrs Lewis and James Evans, builders. Mr Richard Owen, 2, Breck-road, Liverpool, is the architect, and under his superintendence the work will be carried out. {Aberystwith Times 11 September 1869 page 2]

NEW BAPTIST CHURCH AT ABERYSTWITH -  On Wednesday the memorial stone of a new English Baptist Church was laid at Aberystwith, by Evan Matthew Richards, Esq., M.P. for Cardiganshire. The site is Alfred Place, and the circumstances under which it is erected are fully explained in the speeches reported below.

The architect, Mr Owen, of Liverpool, then read the following description of the building: —The plan of the building is a parallelogram, the inside measurement being 56ft. by 33ft. The back and side walls are to be built of local stone, and being in a great measure hid by other buildings, they are quite devoid of ornament. The front, which looks to Albert Place, is to be built of the best selected local stone, worked square, random, and neatly pointed; and all designs are to be in Ruabon free- stone. The front will have a prominent central doorway, with deeply-recessed jambs, columns, foliated capitals, deeply-sunk head, finished with a label mould. Above that there is to be a large window, with triple lights in the bottom part, and the upper part filled with geometrical tracery. The other windows are to be finished with recessed quoins, archivotts, and labels; the two main angles are to be carried up with quoins, the springing of all arches over windows to have a neck mould, and the principal gable to be finished with a moulded factable, springers, apex stone, and finials. The whole ground floor will be seated with open pews, constructed upon the most approved design and there is to be a gallery across one end with a very ornamental panelled front. The whole will seat about 450 persons. The interior will have a pleasing appearance, the ceiling being a very ornamental feature, springing from each side wall, with a large cove, the central part being straight. The whole to be panelled, and finished with enrichments, pendants, etc. Every attention will be paid to the ventilation by a system of tubes in the ceiling. The minister's platform is to be constructed of best pitch pine, and polished. The baptising ground is to be inside of the same. All wood-work will be stained and varnished. All windows are to be glazed with obscure sheet glass, except the large central window, which is to be filled with coloured glass. The whole work has been let as sole contract to Messrs Lewis and James Evans, builders, who have already commenced. Mr Richard Owens, 2, Breck-road, Liverpool, is the architect, and under his superintendence the work will be carried out. [Welshman 10 September 1869 page 5]

Reference    Aberystwith Times 11 September 1869 page 2
Reference    Welshman 10 September 1869 page 5