Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tabernacle |
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| Tabernacle Welsh Baptist Church | |
| Y Tabernacl | |
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Tabernacl Eglwys Bedyddwyr Cymraeg
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Y Tabernacl
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| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Membership | 100 (1821) 220 (1833) 550 (1852) 200 (current) |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Completed | 1865 |
| Construction cost | £3000 (1865) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 950 |
| Number of floors | 2 |
Tabernacle, also known as Y Tabernacl in Welsh, is a special church building called a chapel. It belongs to the Baptist faith and uses the Welsh language for its services. You can find it right in the heart of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. This chapel is a very old and important building, officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building because of its historical and architectural value.
Contents
A Look at Tabernacle Chapel's History
A chapel has stood on this spot since 1821. It was made bigger in 1840. Then, between 1862 and 1865, it was greatly expanded and rebuilt. The architect for this project was J. Hartland and Son, a local firm. They designed it in the Italianate style, which means it looks a bit like buildings from Italy.
If you look closely at the front of the building, you can see signs that it was rebuilt, not just completely new. For example, one of the stair towers sticks out more than the main front wall. Also, the four windows on the upper floor seem a little off-center when you look at them from inside.
What Does the Chapel Look Like?
The front of the chapel is set back from the main road. It has a small open area in front, with wrought iron railings and two gate pillars. The chapel's front wall is tall, with two main levels. There's a stair tower at each corner. The upper part of the central front wall is set back a bit. It has four large, round-headed windows.
On the ground floor, there are four round-headed doorways, similar in style to the windows. One of these is behind the main entrance. The stair towers and the front wall have a decorative top part called a parapet. On this parapet, you can read inscriptions that say "BUILT 1821," "TABERNACLE," and "REBUILT 1865." The outside walls are covered in a painted stucco finish, which is a type of plaster.
Inside the Chapel
Inside, the main area has a high gallery on all four sides. This gallery is like a balcony that goes all the way around. It has a beautiful wrought iron balustrade (a fancy railing). Strong iron columns hold up the gallery. The main ceiling is flat and has a coffered design, which means it has sunken panels. There's also a large decorative ceiling rose in the middle.
At the back of the main space, a big arch frames the organ and a wooden pulpit (where the minister speaks). When you are inside, you can really appreciate the stained glass windows. The two central windows on the upper level show colorful scenes from the Bible. One of them shows the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. These windows were put in in 1928 to remember a past minister named Charles Davies. It's quite unusual to see pictures like these in a nonconformist church, as they often prefer simpler decorations.
The Tabernacle Chapel has been a listed building since 1975. It's currently a Grade II* listed building. This high rating means it's considered a very important and "ambitious chapel" with a "particularly fine interior."
Songs of Praise Connection
Tabernacle Chapel has a special place in TV history! On October 1, 1961, it was the location for the very first broadcast of the BBC's long-running religious TV show, Songs of Praise. This show features people singing hymns and telling their stories. The program returned to the chapel in June 2011 to film for its 50th-anniversary edition, celebrating half a century of broadcasts.
