(Full text of the document held under Source Reference S379 "Calvinistic Methodist Archives - Bethel Llanwyno")
Chapter 2 - The Old Chapel
The old chapel stands like a city on the hill, and the chapel yard was on land
belonging to the estate of Fanhalog. [Note
from Ron Davies: Fanhalog was farmed by the DAVIES family in the 18th
century - Wliiam DAVIES alias HOPKIN and his wife Ann THOMAS, farmed
Fanhalog in the 1780's until they moved to
Cwmsaerbren in 1793, and raised a family of ten children there,
including our great great grandfather Richard DAVIES, and George DAVIES
mentioned below]. This land was later bought by Mr. George
Davies, of Ty Newydd, that is all the land upon which stands the Old Chapel and
the present Chapel. The new house for the Preacher being freehold- but the
estate of Fan Halog owned the land where the first chapel was built. The old
chapel stands on its own hill on top of the hill further down facing the road
which directs pedestrians to Porth and Pontypridd. The New Chapel is sited, up
until about three years ago. Situated between the two chapels stood the Chapel
House, which was a small building with a stable underneath, with a hay loft
above it and at one time the farmers made certain that the hay was stored in it,
where previously visiting preacher’s horse could feed and rest on the journeys
in those days.
For many years visiting Missionaries to Llanwonno stayed
in this old house and it was a shame it was demolished. It was the type of old
Chapel House of which there were only one or two in Glamorganshire. In the
middle there were two rooms, one above the stable and small loft above it and
one could only fully stand up at the centre without striking ones head on the
ridge timber! The old house was demolished in order that a new house could be
built for the Minister. This took place in 1914.
The old Chapel has gone
and alterations have been carried out. The outside walls remain the
same, but the interior has been divided so that two families can dwell beneath
the same roof. The old roof was raised and openings for doors and windows
provided, but the original walls were as originally constructed and will remain
so, when every other wall in the vicinity will have fallen! As there is hardly a
person still alive who could give a detailed description of it, the following
has been literally taken from Glanffrwd’s book and it is well worth recording
word for word.
A
Temple of Prayer House that was neither consecrated by any Bishop nor
decorated by any famous builder. It was only decorated by white lime on
its walls, once a year, and a black blue paint at its corners and a
little cement mortar grey stone roofing tiles from time to time in
order that it remained waterproof. The inside walls were bare except
for a clock in front of the pulpit and a row of long nails from corner
to corner in order that men could hang their hats. The inside and
outside walls were treated with white lime wash. There was a row of
seats along the rear wall extending from pine end to pine end. Facing
the pulpit a row at the eastern pine end and at the east door up to the
pulpit steps and from the other side of the pulpit and up to the
fireplace from the door at the other end. In a word the seats were
fixed and secured with their backs against the walls of the chapel,
with the Big Seat (Set Fawr) in the middle, with two small seats on
each side of the Big Seat. The seats were not numbered but had the
names of the appropriate name of the family from the Parish, i.e. the
Mynachdy seat, the Glog seat, Y Fanhalog etc.etc. There were three
windows on the side of the chapel where the pulpit was aligned with the
centre one and indeed the sill of the middle one was the seat for the
pulpit. Indeed the pulpit was in the middle of the chapel and the clock
was near the pulpit. At the rear of the chapel one can see a stone on
the wall which states that the Chapel was built in the year 1786. It
was built at the expense of the members and neighbours and although it
was not handsome to look at, one had the sense that God’s
spirit had visited his people and had blessed them with something more
than the administration of the building but with the blessing of their
souls.
The above description speaks for itself and it
would be foolish to endeavour to add to it or to take anything away from
it.
The chapel now is subservient to the New Chapel. It receives a few
shillings a week from one of the houses which goes towards the cost of cleaning
and lighting.
