Chapels are an iconic feature of the Welsh landscape. They hark back to a time when the Methodist Church was thriving and embarked on a huge building programme.

The Grade II listed former chapel, Capel Nant in Nanhoron, near Abersoch dates back to 1877. It was built by renowned Victorian chapel architect William Pritchard Roberts and its size and grandeur reflect how successful the Methodist Church had become at attracting congregants in this small rural area. This area is a stronghold of the Welsh language and the chapel would have been a place where people could attend services in their native tongue.

Like so many chapels across Wales, Capel Nant had fallen into disuse and disrepair. It was finally sold by the Calvinist Methodist Church in 2019 and plans were submitted for its conversion to a holiday cottage. Dobson: Owen, a highly respected local firm of architects, were appointed to manage the conversion to create a modern but sympathetic property for their clients.

Chapel conversions can be challenging. The buildings were developed for a very different purpose and have large windows and galleries. Finding imaginative ways to incorporate the best of these features while ensuring that the converted property is comfortable and practical for residential purposes can be challenging. Insulation and heating can be a particular problem due to the high ceilings and the numerous windows.

Dobson: Owen approached Storm Windows to install 20 secondary glazed units across the property to cover all of the windows. To meet the challenges of space, and to retain the shape of the original windows, we made some adaptations to our system to improve their functionality. This enabled them to be hinged for egress on certain shaped units, improving their ease of use and suitability for the building. Because of the large-scale arch of the top windows special adaptations were made to allow for a couple of smaller-scale hinged arch top units.

The work was led by our director, Oliver Parkes, with assistance from surveyor/installer, Luke McHale.

The finished property is stylish, contemporary and practical yet preserves much of its original character. With the addition of our specially adapted secondary glazing it’s also an insulated and comfortable property all year round.

These amazing old buildings are a key part of the built heritage of Wales and our team were proud to be involved in giving this beautiful chapel a new lease of life.

To find out more about the benefits of our secondary glazing units, please click here.