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St Mary’s Church Trelewis, the first 60 years special thanks to Sally James for the following souvenir booklet of the 60th anniversary of the church.
The Transformation of St Mary’s Church Trelewis
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The church in Trelewis was built in 1887,  a chapel of ease, dedicated to St. Mary. It was a very busy church for many years and many of the local people got married at the Church…Just like many other religious buildings in our district, It started to lose a lot of it’s congregation and it was finally closed to the public…its congregation were to be cared for at St Mathias Church in Treharris…

In 2004 the church was bought by a young couple who wanted to turn it into a home for themselves and their planned future family…but they wanted to retain a lot of the features and character of the old building…after many years of work, that Dean and his wife have yet to fully complete, here are the results of their labours.

It is always a terrible shame and loss to the community when a church closes, thankfully St Marys was not demolished, Dean and his wife have done a fantastic job redeveloping the church and they both love living there…It is a family home now and they let us have some photographs to show the transformation.

A Massive thank you to Dean, Claire and family for allowing us to use these photographs…and for welcoming us into their home.

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How the old church was.

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What it looks like Today

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 Below we see the Trinity Chapel built in 1908

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Sadly in 2016 the main Chapel was demolished to make way for a new home.

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Ebenezer Independent Chapel was built in 1889 in the Simple Sub-Classical style, with two storeys and stairs to the gallery on either side of the central door entrance. The pulpit is to the rear of the chapel, with doors either side that lead to a passage way to an ancillary building. The ancillary building is subdivided into four rooms of varying size, and also has a separate side entrance and the foundation stones of the chapel were laid in September 1889 by Sir Alfred Thomas M.P. (Lord Pontypridd), and Thomas Williams of Merthyr. The chapel was designed by Mr John Williams of Merthyr and the builder was Mr D Jenkins of Dowlais.

The total cost of the building was £900, a large amount of which was raised at a grand bazaar in 1890.

The chapel was a very successful cause for many years, but like nearly all the chapels in the borough, numbers dwindled after the Second World War, and the chapel eventually closed and was demolished.

Ebenezer chapel was a place I often frequented as a school child, we always had the school Harvest day there, sadly it is now demolished but thanks to Steve Brewer I have the photograph below, Steve is currently in the process of writing a book about the Non-Conformist Chapels in the Merthyr Area.

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Justin Vaughan leaving taxi outside the old Ebenezer Chapel

War memorial remembering the brave men of the village

Taff Merthyr Garden Village Chapel(below) Methodist

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L-R Sonia Walters,Anwen Jeffreys,Gwyneth Walters. 5th from left is Margaret Jeffreys( back),Anwens daughter.

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Sunday school trip from Stormtown

No longer in use as a Chapel, it is now a family home

Breaking ground to build the Methodist chapel in Stormtown with Mr Trevor Telling and Walter James amongst them.Pictures above courtesy of Sally James

Treharris Religious Buildings

Mount Pleasant Chapel Mary Street Evangelist Baptist, Treharris

First photograph donated by Ray Hurlcombe who wrote “ancestors on my grandmother’s side, the Mandry’s and Hills, were prominent figures in setting up the church” possibly taken 1960

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Below we see two pics of Bethania Church, Penn street Treharris

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Bethania Methodist Chapel was built in 1906. The building above replaced the original chapel.

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Treharris Tabernacle Church

Tabernacle Independent Chapel was first built in 1883, rebuilt in 1893 and modified in 1904. The present building, dated 1893, is constructed in the Sub-Classical style of the gable-entry type. This chapel has two storey’s, with stairs located either side of the central entrance. Tabernacle is now Grade 2 Listed as a substantial late nineteenth century chapel with good interior furnishings

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Front door of Tabernacle church

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Memorial stone on the side of Tabernacle Chapel

Bethel Church, Perrott Street Treharris

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Sadly it is no longer in use as a church

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Bethel Church in better days

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Two plaques on the walls of Bethel Church

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Elim Chapel John Street.

Capel Saron Methodist Chapel (ELIM) was built in 1895 in the Sub-Classical style with a gable-entry plan and a central doorway. The chapel has a single storey with the possible intention of a gallery insertion at a later date, due to the height of chapel. There is no evidence of any ancillary buildings or additional rooms. By 1998 Capel Saron had fallen into disuse and was demolished to be replaced by houses

John Street, Wesleyan Methodist Church in Treharris was built in 1900, in the Byzantine style with an Arts and Crafts scrolled roof line. This Chapel has a gable-entry with a central doorway leading into the chapel. The pulpit is to the rear, with a door either side leading to the stairs for the gallery, as well as an entrance to a possible meeting room at the rear.

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The original Church in Perrott Street replaced by the one below

It was also used as OAP hall in the 1980’s

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Church of Forward Movement Perrott Street, Now demolished

Brynhyfryd Church opposite Royal Hotel

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The chapel band of hope banner

Below is a photograph of some of the Church deacons in 1909

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John Bounds (below) of Railway Terrace who worked so hard to keep the Chapel looking so good

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Above we see how splendid the building was.

The pictures below are courtesy of Roger Vowles, they show how the inside of this once beautiful building has been smashed down and left due to lack of funds, maybe one day it will be turned into something to be proud of once again

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The next two photos were taken by Lee Dare in May 2020 such a shame the building came to this.

St Mathias Church Treharris, still going strong

The church of St Mathias is located on the north side of Cardiff Road (B4254) at its junction with The Park. It was built in Early English style in 1895-6 to the (reduced) designs of architect J.L.Pearson of London. It is constructed of snecked, hammer-dressed Pennant sandstone with Bath stone dressings. The church comprises continuous nave and chancel and full-length north aisle, the south aisle planned but omitted after building had started. Internally, nave and chancel are defined only by a timber screen and by a change in the arcade design. Stained glass is by three different designers including R.J.Newbery.

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Inside St Mathias church 1979

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Saint Mathias church outing possibly 1930

Below we see three photos from late June 2020 preparing the church after the pandemic for social distancing

Waiting for patients to be tesyed March 2021 a year into Pandemic

Below we see a photo of the Old Sunday School in Forrest road during thec 1970’s before it was demolished.

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English Anglican Church, Edwardsville

above we see the chapel from two different eras.

The Beechrove cemetry chapel built 1888

Quakers Yard and Pentwyn

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Berthlwyd Baptist Chapel was built in 1851 and then re-built in 1880. The later chapel was built in the Simple Vernacular style with a central entrance in the gable wall. The chapel has two storeys with stairs either side of the entrance. The pulpit is to the rear of the chapel and the doors either side of it that leads to a hall. The Hall has a sliding room divider enabling multi-uses of the space. There are also two external entrances to this hall, one either side of the chapel building.

Berthlwyd Chapel, Pentwyn, Quakers Yard now a family home

Berthlwyd derelict graveyard

The next set is of the Church and School on the Fiddlers Elbow, St Cynon’s 

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St Cynon Church

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How St Cynon and its school used to look( R. Amos)

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On the roof of the church

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Inside the church, before it was demolished (Jeremy Swattridge)

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Sadly the church has been demolished but here is a photograph of the area in which it once stood

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A warning sign in the graveyard of St Cynon

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The St Cynon church graveyard

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A soldier’s grave in St Cynon graveyard

Information received from Chris Evans states that the soldier buried here is Glynne Colenso Jones, who was aged 19, he was a private in the 3rd Battalion of the South Wales Borderers. His service number was 53809 and he died on October 14, 1918.
There is Egypt etched into the gravestone this relates to the cap badge awarded to the South Wales Borderers for a battle honour.
He was the son of William and Sarah Jones of 5, Ynysymeurig road, Abercynon
A plaque on the wall of a private home on the site of the former Libanus Chapel, Cardiff road, Quakers Yard
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How the once proud Libanus church once looked.
Libanus Independent Chapel was built in 1833, modified/rebuilt in 1853 and final alterations made in 1859. The later chapel is built in the Sub Classical style with a gable-entry plan and central doorway. This chapel has two storeys with entry to the gallery via stairs located either side of the central entrance. Entry to the ground floor chapel is via angulated doors set next to the stairwells in a partition. The pulpit is positioned to the rear of the chapel. There are also doors either side of the pulpit, possibly leading to an ancillary building/room. By 1996 Libanus had fallen into disuse.
The graveyard remains but sadly the Libanus church is now demolished…Leigh Terrace Quakers Yard
Nelson and Llanfabon
Bethel Evangelical church, Nelson
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below 2018
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Long Row, Nelson
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Bethel Church, Nelson front Entrance
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Bethel Church house Nelson
Llanfabon Church
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St Mabon’s Church
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Llanfabon rear
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Llanfabon Cemetry
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Llanfabon chapel and church house
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On entrance of Llanfabon Mabon Church, in honour of a former rector
Henry Withers
Salem Church High Street, Nelson
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2016 unused and for sale
Salem now a chapel of rest for John Davies undertaker
Some of the stalwarts at Salem Methodist Church.
St John The Baptist church Nelson
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Inside the church
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2012 images of St Johns
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Due to the expansion of the village of Nelson during the mid 19th century – Llanfabon’s population was a mere 475 in 1801, but by 1901 it had increased to 4,035 – it was decided to build a daughter church closer to the new population. At the time, this would have been described as a Chapel of ease to Llanfabon. The original church of St John Baptist was completed in 1888.

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The original church

By the end of the century the original church was considered to be too small. In 1904 it was extended and a tower was added.

This is how St John’s appears following the extension

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With Tower added
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The Calfaria Baptist Church in Wern Crescent was built in 1878
Calfaria Sunday School around 1985. Mrs

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, Lisa Cadwallader, Allison Farrant, Anna Butcher in the back row. Then

Anwyn Morgan and the photograph contributor Kath Meredith front row
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There was an old shed of a building which I can’t find a photograph of, It was the Zion Sunday school chapel that used to be on the corner almost opposite the road that leads to long Row..on Caerphilly road( Google annotates it is 2 Caerphilly Road but I would say it’s Springfield Terrace).below we can see two photographs that may remind people of those times and the first image (above) shows how the site looks Today.
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The Sunday school book the children were given
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Above we see a label of a prize from the chapel
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St Caddoc’s, Bedlinog Parish Church, Anglican
It is no longer a Church, it has been converted into a family home…it is named “Church House.”
Old chapel at the Top of Bedlinog no longer in use
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Moreia Independent Chapel was first built in 1870 and rebuilt in 1876 by the builder Thomas Davies of Gelligaer.
Built on the steep gradient of Cwm Hill, no longer in use but redeveloped into a large family home.
Bethel chapel Inaugeration 1932 (Paul Roberts) the man near the centre of the picture holding a bible is Pastor Joseph Henry Phillips a veteran of world war one.
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Bethel Chapel, Bedlinog built in 1932
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2017 below
Salem Baptist Chapel was originally built in 1830 and then rebuilt in 1876
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Goshen Calvinistic Methodist Chapel High Street Rebuilt 1910 now demolished
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Sardis Chapel Bedlinog
Sardis Congregational Chapel was built during the mid twentieth century
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Soar Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built 1889 Graig Terrace