Dear Listers,
I'd like to draw your attention to a discussion topic that's been appearing
on RootsWeb's Glamorgan mailing list over the past few days. It relates to
the fate of a former chapel and its burial yard that is being destroyed as
part of the project to convert the A465 'Heads of the Valleys' trunk road to
dual carriageway.
The remains of ten people, including six children, buried in the graveyard
of Lion Terrace Chapel near Gilwern (Breconshire) will have to be moved to
another burial yard to make way for the road-works.
The construction firm, Costain Ltd, is reported to be eager to hear from
relatives of the ten people buried in the church graveyard.
A full report from Wales OnLine is available at:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/remains-10-people-including-...
As the chapel and graveyard was situated in Llanelly parish, Breconshire, I
have appended below my own contribution to the topic in case it is of
interest to members of the Powys List.
Since posting my message yesterday, I've heard that two weeks ago only one
wall of the chapel remained. It's likely even that has gone by now.
Kind regards,
John
--------------------
John Ball, Brecon, Powys, UK
E-mail: john(a)jlb2011.co.uk
Website:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/
Blog:
http://johnofbrecon.com
-----Original Message-----
From: John Ball via
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 2:43 PM
To: Glamorgan List
Subject: Re: [GLA] Fw: Not Glam but could be of interest
Dear Listers,
I believe the graveyard under threat is that attached to Gilwern Primitive
Methodist Chapel, situated at grid reference SO24281429 on the north side of
the present course of the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road. Google StreetView
provides a recent (2011) image of its forlorn condition, as seen from the
A465.
See:
http://tinyurl.com/nhmzrz4
The South Wales Argus has another photo, showing the eastern end of the
former chapel.
See:
http://tinyurl.com/o2snw6e
Coflein, the online database of the Royal Commission on Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Wales, provides the following description:
"Gilwern Methodist Chapel was built in 1838 in the Vernacular style, with a
gable entry plan and walls of sandstone rubble. By 2001 this chapel stood
disused with the interior gutted and vehicle entrances inserted to the
centre of the main gable-end and right-hand walls. (NPRN 11513)"
See:
http://tinyurl.com/o444q3x
Unfortunately, I've never photographed the chapel or its graveyard. Although
I've driven past it lots of times over a period of 40 years, I've always
assumed it was an old warehouse. I never realised it was once a chapel!
I'll try to get to the site in the next week or two and take some shots
before it's too late. If successful I'll add them to my online 'Welsh
Churches and Chapels Collection' and notify the mailing lists in the usual
way.
Of course, if any of you visits the site before me, I'd be very grateful to
receive copies of your photos as a contribution to my webpages.
Kind regards,
John
--------------------
John Ball, Brecon, Mid-Wales, UK
E-mail: john(a)jlb2011.co.uk
Personal Homepage:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk
Images of Wales:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/
Welsh Family History Archive:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/wales/
Blog:
http://johnofbrecon.com
Webmaster, Breconshire Local & Family History Society
http://www.blfhs.co.uk/
GENUKI Breconshire Maintainer:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/BRE/
Administrator - Powys RootsWeb mailing list