Carmel Independent Chapel was built in 1816, enlarged in 1833 and rebuilt in 1871. The present chapel, dated 1871, is built in the Lombardic/Italianate style of the gable-entry type with a giant arch and wheel window, to the design of architect Thomas Thomas of Landore.

Chapel built in an Italianate style of squared rubble stone with ashlar quoins and dressings. TThe 3-bay facade has a central entrance, consisting of paired panel doors within an arched head containing a fanlight with a central fanlight of coloured glass. Above this is a wheel window, this and the entrance enclosed within a giant arch which forms a slightly recessed central bay. There are windows to either storey of the outer bays, those to the ground floor being simple, segmentally headed, those to the first floor having Florentine tracery to round-headed arch openings. The pediment contains a small roundel for ventilation, beneath a stepped gable terminating with pinnacles at the ends and a central finial supporting an iron decorative feature.

In front of the chapel sits a narrow forecourt with a dwarf wall carrying railings between gate and corner piers, the railings having trefoiled heads.

The chapel has a fine and intimately scaled interior. The raised pulpit is approached by symmetrical curved flights of 6 steps. Its front is canted, with openwork side panels and a bracketed book desk which has brass brackets for oil lamps on each side. Behind the pulpit, pilasters rise to elaborate consoles supporting a semi-circular, arched, entablature enriched with palmettes and egg and dart mouldings. The set fawr enclosure is of pitch pine, with an openwork top of chain pattern, and posts with finials. There are three blocks of box pews, the central block wider than the outer two. At the rear a central, coloured glass panel sits between the tow doorways to the vestibule.

A gallery sits around three sides of the interior, curving round over the entrance lobby, and is supported on fluted, cast iron, columns. A moulded and bracketed beam supports the front of the gallery, which has perforated decorative panels. The gallery clock is by Kibble of Gracechurch Street, London. The ceiling has moulded plaster ribs forming a cross pattern within an outer moulded plaster band, and a plaster cornice. At the centre, is a roundel of leaves.

The chapel closed by 1999, but has since been acquired as part of the Pennal Centre, and continues to be used for weddings and funerals.

RCAHMW, May 2019
Source: Cadw listing Description