The Churches of Britain and Ireland

Brecon, Powys

Brecon on Wikipedia.
 

The former Bethel Chapel, now a branch of Boots. SO 0458 2864. © Simon Atkin. Another view, © David Gallimore. Grade II listed, which dates it to "circa 1850-52", with conversion in the 1990's.

Brecon Cathedral. Previously in the "Unknown" section, this sketch of a church has recently come into Bob Sendall's possession. Aidan Thompson has advised that it is Brecon Cathedral, although the artist has taken some liberties in his interpretation. Two modern views - 1, 2, and an interior view, all © Gerard Charmley (2010). Link. Coflein entry. Grade I listed, wherein it's dated to a re-build of 1230 (with later additions), with just a few fragments from its predecessor founded in 1093.

Christ College Chapel on Bridge Street was originally the chancel of the church of the Dominican Friary, dedicated to St. Nicholas. It was seen by Streetview in 2021. SO 0419 2847. Link. Grade I listed.

Possibly a spurious entry - the former Congregational Memorial College (now Camden Court flats) on Camden Road, as seen by Streetview in 2022. Built as a college in 1869, it closed in 1959 - see the grade II listing. I haven't been able to establish if there was a chapel here. Coflein entry.

Dr. Coke Chapel off Lion Street was the successor to the English Wesleyan Chapel on Free Street (for which see below). Opened in 1834, its Coflein entry dates its demolition to no later than 1978, following a fire. A photo of the interior (after the fire) can be seen here. Access to it was along a narrow alleyway off Lion Street. The Co-op in the background seen here in a Streetview from 2011 stood on the site at that time. A 1960 photo of the chapel can be seen here (page 7). SO 0450 2867.

Elim Church on Canal Road, as seen by Streetview in 2015. It's a recent arrival, dating from circa 2011. SO 0459 2831. Link.

The former English Independent/Congregational Chapel on Glamorgan Street. Its Coflein entry dates it to circa 1835. It had closed by 1927, at which date it was converted into a Museum, and it remains in use as a museum store. It was seen by Streetview in 2017. SO 0449 2840. Grade II listed.

There used to be an English Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on Free Street and Little Free Street, at SO 0471 2842. Later English and Welsh, Coflein dates it to a re-build of 1815, replacing its predecessor on the same site of 1770. It closed following the opening of Dr. Coke Chapel (for which see above) in 1834. Demolished at some point, housing now stands on the site, seen by Streetview 2022.

Huntingdon House (the pink building in a 2011 Streetview) retains fabric from a Calvinistic Methodist Chapel which closed in the mid-19th century. SO 0452 2888. Grade II listed.

Kensington Baptist Church, which Gerard advises is in poor repair. SO 0422 2873. © Gerard Charmley. The church and adjacent Sunday School were seen by Streetview in 2009. At some point after Gerard's visit, the church was refurbished, with building work in progress in 2011 (Streetview), and completed before the next Streetview visit in 2015. Link. Coflein entry.

A Mission Chapel, pre-dating a map of 1888, once stood on The Avenue at SO 0415 2885. It survived until after WWII, but a house was built on its site at some point. It was seen by Streetview in 2022.

A Mission Room used to stand on Cemetery Road (now Cradoc Road) at circa SO 0408 2895. Pre-dating a map of the late 1880's, it didn't survive for many years after this as it isn't shown on 20th century maps. Its approximate site was seen by Streetview in 2022 - it stood by the roadside.

The Church of England Mortuary chapel in the cemetery on Cradoc Road. SO 0376 2917. © Martin Briscoe. There is an identical Nonconformist Chapel too a few yards to the north-west, at SO 0374 2919. A photo of it is available here. Both are grade II listed - CoE, Nonconformist, and dated to 1858. The gate-piers and gates, and the lodge, are separately listed - they can be found here.

Plough Welsh Independent Chapel (now U.R.C.), so called because it was built on the site of the Plough Inn. Founded in 1699, the present structure dates from 1892. SO 0464 2850. © Gerard Charmley. Interior view, the pulpit, and ceiling, all © Richard Camp. Coflein entry. Grade II* listed.

Presbyterian Church. SO 0479 2835. © Simon Atkin. Coflein entry. Grade II listed, wherein it's dated to circa 1872.

St. Catherine's Chapel was an ancient chapel on what is today Watton. The O.S. identifies its site as being at SO 0508 2809, seen by Streetview in 2022. Andrew Jones at Brecon Library supplied Howard Richter with some scans from a learned journal - Brycheiniog, vol. XXV, 1992/3 - which describes it as first being mentioned in 1515, but by 1698 was in use as a barn. It was possibly connected with Christ College (see above) which closed in 1538 at the Dissolution, which, if true, could mean that St. Catherine may have closed at the same time.

St. David at Llanfaes. SO 0377 2831. © Tim Hollinghurst. Two additional views - 1, 2, both © Paul Wood (2017). Coflein entry. Grade II listed, where it's dated to 1859, replacing an earlier church.

O.S. maps mark the site of St. Elenud's Chapel on the slopes of a hill east of the town at SO 0578 2861. The site hasn't been seen by Streetview, but an aerial view can be seen here - near the apex of the roughly triangular dark green patch, just beyond the shadow of the tree.

St. Mary (CiW) on St. Mary's Street. SO 0453 2853. © Simon Atkin. Another view, © David Gallimore. Link. Coflein entry. Grade II* listed.

St. Michael (R.C.). SO 0440 2853. © Gerard Charmley (2010). Coflein entry. Its grade II listing dates it to 1851. For other listed features associated with the church, see here.

Watergate Baptist Chapel (1806). SO 0433 2867. © Gerard Charmley. Coflein entry. Grade II listed - dates it to a re-build of 1880, predecessor 1806. The associated walls, gates etc., are separately listed as grade II.

A former Tabernacl Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Chapel stands on The Struet. Coflein dates it to 1824, and says it was sold in 1871. SO 0445 2872. Its grade II listing questions whether anything of the chapel survives. The present building was seen by Streetview in 2022.

Another former Tabernacl Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Chapel stands on Newmarch Street at SO 0399 2859. Coflein says it was built in 1874, with conversion to residential use "by 1992". However, a photo of the foundation stone here says 1871 - which suggests it was possibly successor to the Tabernacl in the previous entry. Streetview saw it in 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

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17 March 2023

© Steve Bulman

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