The Churches of Britain and Ireland

  Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Aberdare on Wikipedia.


The ruinous Bethania Calvinistic Methodist Chapel on Wind Street. Gerard advised that the local council had served a compulsory purchase order on the building, and a search turned up this document (warning - large pdf file), which says that the intention is to turn it into flats. Apparently this never came to pass, as its Coflein entry (which dates it to 1853, re-built 1884) says that it was demolished in 2015. SO 0019 0245. © Gerard Charmley. Grade II listed.

Calfaria Baptist Church on Monk Street, one of Aberdare's oldest chapels. Coflein dates it to a re-build in 1851 of a 1813 chapel. Wikipedia lists it as closing on or soon after 2012. SO 0019 0245. © Gerard Charmley. Grade II listed.

Gerard has advised that Elim Church on Monk Street was originally the Sunday School for Bethesda Primitive Methodist Chapel, which stood on the grassed site to the front. However, its Coflein entry implies that it was always Elim, dating the chapel to 1863, closing in 1995 and demolished in 2001. I think this is incorrect, as a map of 1885 labels it as Bethesda. Its My Primitive Methodists website entry agrees, saying that the chapel "became Pentecostal in 1942".  It also provides a reference to a photo in a book. SO 0010 0245. © Gerard Charmley.

English Methodist Church on Green Street, originally Wesleyan (1859). SO 0004 0262. © Gerard Charmley. Coflein. Grade II listed.

The former Gadlys Welsh Baptist Chapel on Railway Street, now converted into flats. The date-stone is for 1864, and it closed in 1980. SO 9979 0315. Both © Eryl Bassett, whose grandfather was minister here from 1912 to 1922. Coflein. Grade II listed.

Highland Place Unitarian Church, which, oddly, stands on Monk Street and Unity Street, rather than on Highland Place which is a short walk further south. Coflein dates it to 1860. SO 9996 0227. © Gerard Charmley.

The former Nazareth Calvinistic Methodist Church, now in secular use. Coflein dates it to 1860, closed in 1965. SO 0053 0273. © Gerard Charmley.

Old Meeting House on Alma Lane. SN 9953 0351. © unitarian.co.uk. This, and many other old engravings on this website, are reproduced from the downloadable books on the Unitarian Church Headquarters website here. The books are Pictures of Unitarian Churches by Emily Sharpe (1901) and the 1914 edition of Nonconformist Church Architecture by Ronald P. Jones M.A, (Oxon), and the images are reproduced by kind permission of James Barry of Unitarian Church Headquarters. My appreciation also to Mike Berrell for his efforts in this regard. A modern view is provided by a Streetview from 2021. Coflein dates the building to 1751, possibly originally as Calvinistic. Grade II listed.

The former St. David (Presbyterian) was built by a group from Trinity Welsh Presbyterian Church, who joined the English Presbyterians. It's dated by Coflein to a re-build in 1899 of the earlier church of 1875, closing in 1965. SO 0015 0253, © Gerard Charmley.

St. Elvan (CiW, 1851) on Church Street, the present parish church. SO 0026 0259. © Gerard Charmley. Link. Coflein. Grade II* listed.

The original parish church was St. John the Baptist (CiW). SO 0000 0267. © Gerard Charmley. Link. Grade II* listed.

St. Joseph (R.C.) on Monk Street and Pendarren Street. Its brief Coflein entry dates it to 1868. SO 0004 0238. © Gerard Charmley. Link. Grade II listed.

Salvation Army Church on Wind Street. SO 0046 0228. © Gerard Charmley.

Siloa Welsh Congregational Chapel on Green Street. It's dated by Coflein to 1844, re-built 1855. By 2023, Google Streetview was listing it as "permanently closed". SO 0000 0258. © Gerard Charmley. Grade II listed.

Siloh Apostolic Church on Club Street. The building bears a date plaque for 1930. SO 0078 0179. © Gerard Charmley (2010).

The former Soar Wesleyan Methodist Church on Wind Street and Oak Street, now a youth centre. 1858 (Coflein). SO 0047 0224. © Gerard Charmley.

Trinity Calvinistic Methodist Church on Canon Street and Weatheral Street is dated by Coflein to 1867. SO 0012 0264. © Gerard Charmley. Grade II listed.

 

 

 

 
  

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26 October 2023

© Steve Bulman

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