Yr Hen Gapel (Welsh for The Old Chapel) is a now ruined religious building and scheduled ancient monument in the village of Llanybri, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The tower and ruins have been given Grade II heritage listing.[1]
| Yr Hen Gapel | |
|---|---|
 Restored tower of Yr Hen Gapel | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 51°47′13″N 4°24′45″W / 51.78691°N 4.41244°W |
| Completed | circa 1300s |
It is unusual in having been subsequently converted for use by a non-conformist congregation.[2]
Description
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The remaining chapel consists of a square tower at the western end and a ruined nave to the east, all built from rubble stone. The long walls of the nave are low and have a gap in the south wall for a door. The eastern end wall is approximately 3 metres in height and still retains a traceried window opening with trefoiled heads.[2]
The squat tower has a pyramid-shaped roof. On the west face is a false stone clockface dated 1879, with the 'hands' set at five minutes to ten.[2]
The ruins are a scheduled ancient monument. An information panel gives information about the history of the site. The tower also doubles as the village war memorial, with two plaques beside the door.[3]
History
editThe church was referred to in 1388 as "Morbrichurche". Dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, it was a chapel-of-ease to nearby Llansteffan.[1]
Recorded as still being an Anglican place of worship in 1671,[2] the church was repaired and taken over in the 17th century as a non-conformist place of worship, described as "a remarkable change for the date".[4] The congregation was founded by Stephen Hughes circa 1670.[1] The chapel is believed to be a unique example of being converted for non-conformist use.[3]
The congregation purchased the chapel in 1878, making changes including removal of the upper storey of the tower and the addition of a pyramid roof[1] (the tower was originally battlemented and was recorded in the 1500s as having bells).[2]
The chapel finally closed in 1962[2] and became Grade II listed in 1966. Following a fire in 1974, most of the building was demolished.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Tower of Yr Hen Gapel, including attached wall-footings". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Yr Hen Gapel, Llanybri". RCAHMW. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Yr Hen Gapel, Llanybri". Ancient Monuments. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ Lloyd, Thomas; Orbach, Julian; Scourfield, Robert (2006). The Buildings of Wales - Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. New Haven/London: Yale University Press. p. 341. ISBN 0-300-10179-1. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
External links
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Media related to Yr Hen Gapel, Llanybri at Wikimedia Commons
