Dyfi Valley Churches and Chapels.

The Dyfi Valley was probably no different from anywhere else in rural Wales in the way that the Non-Conformist movement took off with fervour during in the 1800s. There must have been a flurry of building work going on, with the different denominations providing alternative places of worship for their flocks, often right next door to each other, or just across the street from the Established Church. Each village had its chapels, as did even the most remote areas of the minor valleys, and one wonders where the congregations came from - and where they went. The growth of mining attracted large numbers of workers, and when the industry collapsed so the population would have moved on. Similarly, the mechanisation of the textile industry in the North of England had a dramatic effect on the need for local home-based weaving.

The styles of the chapels vary immensely, from very small, simple, one room buildings to massive elaborate structures, decorated with classical columns or fancy spires. Chapels were usually built from the local slate, the smaller buildings being simply stuccoed in white, and a few had their walls hung with roofing slates. One or two of the more ostentatious chapels seem to be constructed in dressed stone, and most are roofed with the ubiquitous slate. The very smallest buildings are simply clad with corrugated iron sheeting, painted green or brown. One, at least, was entirely made of wood. At the other end of the scale, the churches are often very grand affairs, impressive in their architecture, and usually of quite ancient origin.

There's one further "chapel" that I think qualifies to appear in this list: it's the simplest imaginable - and all that remains now is a faint carving on a rock wall. It was found in an abandoned quarry not far from Machynlleth, back in the late 50s. At that stage it comprised a rough slate altar, a carving of the crucifixion, and a crudely painted religious text on the slate wall that started with the words "tuch [sic] nothing but thine breast...". To one side was a jam jar with flowers in it, and to the other a tin with some coins in it with a note to the effect that if you needed money, take some, if you could spare some money, leave some. At the time it was thought to have been built by and for the tramps who used to pass through the town every year. I returned to the site in 2007 and attempted to take a photograph of what remained. I enhanced the carving by rubbing chalk into it, and then outlined the cross with a damp tissue. Here's the results. Interestingly, it obviously hasn't been entirely forgotten, because in recent times someone's affixed a gold-coloured crucifixion pendant to the rock face. All very mysterious. (Click on the thumbnail pics to see bigger/better versions.)

The religious fervour of days gone by has of course greatly declined and, although some chapels continue to survive with tiny congregations, the area is left with a legacy of largely redundant buildings, some in total ruin, but many converted to other uses. With a bit of research, I've identified over 160 locations of chapels or churches in the area, and so far fleetingly located 67 of them on my travels. The following table shows where they are, their denomination, the current state of the buildings, and which ones I've seen for myself. Inevitably my research is incomplete, but as I have the opportunity I continue to update the list. If anyone has any additions or corrections, do please get in touch with me.

Entries in black represent buildings currently/apparently used as places of worship.
Entries in red represent buildings being used for other purposes, ruinous or demolished.

See: 19th Century Dyfi Valley Parish Map.

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