Smyrna Chapel (Aberfan) – The Melting Pot – Merthyr Tydfil's History and Culture

Merthyr’s Lost Buildings: Lost Chapels Abercanaid to Merthyr Vale

Carrying on with the requested look at Merthyr’s lost chapels, here is the next batch – the lost chapels of Abercanaid down to Merthyr Vale.

ABERCANAID

Deml Welsh Baptist Chapel

Church View, Abercanaid

Built 1896. Demolished ?

Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

(Old) Graig Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel

Graig Road, Abercanaid

Built 1848. Demolished 1948

(New) Graig Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel

Church View, Abercanaid

Built 1905. Demolished 1996

Silo Welsh Baptist Chapel

Upper Abercanaid

Built 1842. Demolished ?

TROEDYRHIW

Mount Zion Congregationalist Chapel

Cardiff Road, Troedyrhiw

Built 1871. Demolished 2004

Saron Welsh Independent Chapel

Chapel Street, Troedyrhiw

Built 1835. Rebuilt 1852. Demolished 1990

ABERFAN

Capel Aberfan Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel

Aberfan Road, Aberfan

Built 1876. Burned down 2015

Old Bethania Welsh Independent Chapel

Aberfan Road, Aberfan

Built 1876. Rebuilt 1885. Demolished 1968

Hope Church of Christ

Bridge Street, Aberfan

Built 1900. Demolished ?

Mount Hermon Congregationalist (later Gospel Hall)

Aberfan Crescent, Aberfan

Built 1899. Demolished ?

Smyrna Welsh Baptist Chapel

Aberfan Road, Aberfan

Built 1879. Rebuilt 1902. Demolished 2002

MERTHYR VALE

Bethel Welsh Wesleyan Chapel

Wesley Place, Merthyr Vale

Built 1886. Demolished ?

Calfaria Welsh Baptist Chapel

Cardiff Road, Merthyr Vale

Built 1877. Rebuilt 1910. Demolished 1979

Trinity Presbyterian Chapel

Wesley Place, Merthyr Vale

Built 1876. Rebuilt 1904. Demolished ?

Zion English Baptist Chapel

Nixonville, Merthyr Vale

Built 1879. Rebuilt 1891. Demolished 1971

If anyone has photographs of any other chapels that are no longer with us, and there are a few I can’t find photos of, or if anyone can fill in any details, please get in touch.

Festival of Britain

70 years ago today…..

Merthyr’s Chapels: Smyrna Chapel, Aberfan

The latest chapel in our ongoing series is Smyrna Baptist Chapel in Aberfan.

After Rev James Lewis became minister of Carmel Chapel, Troedyrhiw, in the 1860s, he started a Sunday School in Aberfan. This was held firstly at a private house and then in the long room of the old Red Cow public house.

As the congregation grew Rev Lewis and two of his deacons – William Jones and William Philip Price decided to build their own place of worship, and in 1879 a plot of land was leased from Mrs Rowland Griffiths of Aberfan House for £2.10s.0d., and a small chapel was built by William Lloyd, a member of Carmel Chapel, for the sum of £750.

By the turn of the 20th Century, the congregation had grown sufficiently for a new chapel to be built. It was decided to build the chapel on a larger plot of land adjoining the original chapel. The new chapel was built by the Spratt Brothers of Merthyr and was completed in 1902 at a cost of £1,874. The original chapel was joined on to the new chapel to be used as a vestry.

During the Aberfan Disaster, Smyrna Chapel was the first building to be opened to aid the rescuers, with the vestry used as a refreshment centre and the chapel as a casualty centre for the rescuers. In the aftermath of this, due to the inevitable mess caused, the chapel had to close for restoration. When this was completed a special service was held to re-open and re-dedicate the chapel.

Members of Smyrna Chapel at the re-opening ceremony in 1967

The new chapel was demolished in 2002, but the original chapel remains and has been refurbished for use by the community.