The Chapel of Art in Criccieth, Gwynedd, GB, North Wales, UK, Europe
This page is an introduction to The Chapel of Art - "The CoA" is the abbreviation used through this site

Introduction to The Chapel of Art

The Chapel of Art • Capel Celfyddyd is a Gallery and Art Centre
housed in a "re-cycled" Chapel building.

Click thumbnails for enlarged view of images

Brief history:

The original English Chapel (known as Capel Saesneg in Welsh) was built by public subscription on land donated in 1878.

This beautiful little non-conformist Victorian church served the English-speaking congregation every summer for just over a hundred years. The original gift of land is documented in a conveyance drawn up and counter-signed by David Lloyd George, a lowly clerk, who later became Prime Minister of Britain.

Services continued up to the early 1980s, when disrepair made the building dangerous. It thereafter fell into disuse.

Many visitors today recall Sunday services in the past. They include former Servicemen of World War II who were stationed locally 1939-1945, as well as people of every age, who first visited Girl Guide or Boy Scout summer camps, which have been held annually in Criccieth from the 1920s up to the present day.

Architecture:

Probably designed by the self-taught architect, Owen Morris Roberts of Bank Place, Portmadoc, the building represents an unusual example of late 19th century architecture. For example, the very decorative leaded-glass windows with their colourful floral designs, are very surprising in a chapel of this period in Wales.

Indeed, the building could easily be a mosque, synagogue or temple, due to the symbolic imagery of flowers and geometric devices in these ornate windows. The two 'memorial windows' with their Passion Flower motives are exceptionally beautiful.

The conversion of the chapel into an art centre was undertaken from 1989 to 1995.

A wall was built to divide it into two parts to provide a main gallery area, which can be used as an auditorium, and a smaller back-stage area.

The original pulpit was incorporated in a high gallery above the stage. This was all cunningly designed to remain in keeping with the original architecture and is not usually recognised as an alteration or addition by visitors.

Recent History:

Eckhard and Janet Kaiser bought the English Chapel in 1989, to save it from further vandalism and decay. They spent all their life-savings on sympathetic and environmentally friendly restoration, renovation and conversion. From the crumbling foundations supporting the rotten floor joists right up to the rafters and slate roof with corroded nails, it took them six long years from 1989 to 1995 to complete this labour of love.

They have created a Centre of Excellence for The Arts without a penny of financial help from public or private sectors. At a time of lavish public funding for The Arts in the UK, they did not qualify for support at any time and still do not!

Through the winter of 1999-2000 the main window above the entrance was finally restored. The wooden frame of the 15 foot high leaded glass window was quite rotten and several bullet holes were also discovered, so repair and restoration was no easy task.

Water was leaking through the 'new' roof, so more work had to be undertaken in the winter of 2001-2002, when the slate coping stones were found to be split and had to be replaced. A ceramic finial has been made to replace the original, which was probably shot off at some time. That would account for several bullet holes found in the large window above the entrance.

The final and most significant addition will be:

The International Potters' Path:

Phase I of The International Potters' Path was opened at midnight on 31st December 1999 (here on New Year's Day 2000). Sponsored by potters around the world, The Path will be continued until it is finally completed. This will probably take many more years. A whole section of this website is dedicated to this unique international project.

So when visiting Criccieth, please take time to look at the individual tiles in The International Potters' Path outside The Chapel of Art.