Merthyr’s Chapels: Beulah Chapel, Dowlais

Beulah English Baptist Chapel, Dowlais

In the early part of the 1800s, the growing population of Dowlais included many English speaking people. Many of these followed the Baptist cause, but as there was no provision for them in the town, they had to travel into Merthyr to attend High Street Chapel.

By 1850, the English Baptist population in Dowlais  had become large enough to encourage them to make a request to the members of Caersalem Chapel to hold services in English. The elders agreed and these were held in the vestry of Caersalem Chapel, the services being taken by Rev Thomas Davies of High Street Chapel.

The venture proved a success and before long a house in North Street was bought to hold services, and a Sunday School was also set up. As the congregation grew it became evident that they needed a proper place of worship, so they decided to build a chapel in Victoria Street.

A small chapel to seat 200 was completed at a cost of £400, and officially opened on 1 February 1857 and named Beulah. The chapel continued to be a branch of Caersalem until 23 January 1859 when it was recognised as a cause in its own right.

When Beulah became independent of Caersalem, 40 members of High Street Chapel moved to the new chapel and the congregation grew steadily. By 1869 the building was too small and a new chapel was built by Mr Evan Jones at a cost of £1,100. It was opened on Christmas Day 1869.

Shortly after this, a schism occurred at Beulah and the minister, Rev Alfred Humphreys and 34 of the congregation left and started their own cause and called it Tabernacle.

Despite this schism, the cause at Beulah continued to prosper and the chapel opened a schoolroom in Pant and also established Mount Pleasant Chapel in Penydarren.

Today, despite ever-falling numbers, Beulah survives as one of the very few chapels still holding services in Dowlais.