Caersalem Baptist Chapel was built in 1893 in the Sub-Classical, Italianate style with a gable entry. The chapel closed in the mid to late 1990's and in 2000 was still in a state of disuse. The building is Grade 2 listed.

RCAHMW, June 2009

Caersalem Baptist Chapel, 1893

In many ways this is a variant on the earlier classical temple Baptist Chapel designs in Llanelli but with the earlier full-height temple show-front design transformed into a two-storey house-like version. The simpler decoration of the side-walls of the chapel is reduced to a projecting architrave band around the windows. The upper `temple' of the show-front has a central window with Venetian tracery set over the large central porch, itself a temple in miniature, carried by free-standing Tuscan columns. This two-storey temple chapel design is not very common in Wales, although Capel Als is a second Llanelli example, but did allow the congregation to use an abundance of cut-stone in the show-front, markedly contrasting with the subdued effect of using the much darker local Pennant sandstone on the sidewalls of the chapel. By this date most English-language nonconformist congregations would have built in gothic. Enclosing cast-iron railings were a common feature of chapels and these were made by Thomas & Clement, founders of Llanelli. At the time of the nonconformist statistical survey of 1905 the chapel could accommodate a fairly average-sized seated congregation of 700 with 250 in the schoolroom. The congregation also had a caretaker's house and a manse for the Minister.

Stephen R. Hughes, RCAHMW, 06.09.2007