Chapel-related publications

The list concentrates on books in English which include information about Welsh chapels. Some of the books listed are now out of print. Books in Welsh are listed on the Welsh version of this page.

General

Cadw, Chapels in Wales: conservation and conversion. Cardiff: Cadw, 1999. (Very useful booklet with text by John Hilling.)

Ifans, Dafydd, ed., Nonconformist Registers of Wales. Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 1994.

Jones, Anthony, Welsh Chapels. 2nd ed., Stroud: Alan Sutton, 1996.

Roberts, Alun, Discovering Welsh Graves. Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 2002.

Smith, Ian, Tin Tabernacles: corrugated iron mission halls, churches and chapels of Britain. Camrose Organisation, 2004.

Dissent and the Gothic Revival. This will be published in Autumn 2007 by the Chapels Society.more details...

Districts

Barnes, David Russell, People of Seion: patterns of nonconformity in Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire in the century preceding the Religious Census of 1851. Llandysul: Gomer, 1995. (Includes a chronological table of chapels by date of first building.)

Hilling, John & Traynor, Mary, Cardiff's Temples of Faith: a thousand years of places of worship. Cardiff: Civic Society, 2000.

Jones, Alun Vernon, Chapels of the Cynon Valley. [Cwmdare]: Cynon Valley History Society, 2004.

Pritchard, T.W. A History of the Old Parish of Hawarden, Including Broughton, Ewloe, Garden City, Mancot, Pentrobin, Queensferry, Saltney, Saltney Ferry, Sandycroft, Sealand and Shotton. Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2002. (Includes much illustrated information about chapels.)

Pritchard, T.W. The Making of Buckley and District, Including Bistre, Argoed, Ewloe Wood, Ewloe Town, Pentrobin and Bannel. Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2006. (Includes a substantial illustrated chapter on the Nonconformists and their chapels.)

Sinclair, J.B. & Fenn, R.W.D., Marching to Zion: Radnorshire chapels. Kington: Cadoc Books, 1990

The Buildings of Wales Series
The series was originally published by Penguin but is now published by Yale University Press:

Denominations

Bassett, T.M., The Welsh Baptists. Swansea: Tŷ Ilston, 1977.

Jones, R. Tudur, Congregationalism in Wales, ed. Robert Pope. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2004.

Madden, Lionel, ed., Methodism in Wales: a short history of the Wesley tradition.
Llandudno, Methodist Conference, 2003.

Architects

Hughes, Stephen, Thomas Thomas, 1817-88: the first national architect of Wales. Reprinted from Archaeologia Cambrensis 152 (2003). Purchase from Book Sales, RCAHMW, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth SY23 1NJ. £5 plus £1 p&p.

Recent Chapel Histories

Chapel histories in English published since 2000. Histories in Welsh are listed on the Welsh page. We would welcome any additions to the list.

Beaufort Bethel Methodist Church, Beaufort, Ebbw Vale: a history celebrating 150 years 1851-2001, by Eric Smith and Keith Thomas. Cwmbran: Kerin Publishers, 2001. 53pp.

Birkenhead Alpha and Omega: Welsh Presbyterian witness in Laird Street, Birkenhead 1906-2006, by D. Ben Rees. Liverpool: Cyhoeddiadau Modern Cymreig, 2006. 200pp.

Bryncoch The History of Saron Chapel, Capel yr Annibynwyr, Bryncoch 1857-2007.

Caerwent Caerwent Baptist Church 1815-2000, by Eric Lovell. The Church, 2000. 38pp.

Carmarthen Zion 1850-2000: celebrating 150 years of worship at Zion Presbyterian Church, Mansel Street, Carmarthen. [The Church, 2000]. 17pp.

Cilcain Gad Chapel, Cilcain 1806-2006, by Eirlys Gruffydd. Cilcain: The Chapel, 2006. 11pp. + 20pp. of illustrations. Also includes longer Welsh text.

Crosskeys A History of Hope Baptist Church, Crosskeys, by Graham S. Osborne. Abertillery: Old Bakehouse Publications, 2006. 52pp.

Ferndale Salem Newydd Welsh Baptist Church, by Peter Brooks. The Author, 2008. 290pp. £10 (proceeds to Christian Aid; available from the author: phone 0796 280 7571; email: peter_t_brooks@hotmail.com)

Flint Mountain Bethel Methodist Church, Flint Mountain: centenary 1893-1993, by Megan Wall. [The Church, 1993]. 28pp. Bilingual.

Griffithstown A History of Griffithstown Baptist Church 1875-2000, by Tony Hopkins. The Church, 2000. 104pp.

Liverpool Chatham Street: Chatham Building, by Arthur Thomas. Revised edition, University of Liverpool Management School, 2004. 64pp. (The first half of the booklet traces the history of Chatham Street Calvinistic Methodist chapel 1861-1949 when it was acquired by the University.)

Llanfyllin The Tabernacl: Methodism in Llanfyllin 1801-2005, by Rhoswen Charles. The Tabernacl, 2006. 41pp. (Available from Rhoswen Charles, The Old Shop, Bwlchyddar, Llangedwyn, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 9LJ. Price £5)

Llanilltyd Fardref The History of Salem Welsh Baptist Chapel, Llanilltyd Fardref: from the beginning 1825 to millennium 2000. Pontypridd: Berwyn Davies, 2000. 71pp.

Llantwit Major [Bethel Baptist Church, Llantwit Major: a short history], by Philip Trollope. Barry: The Author, 2004? 79pp.

Llanwenarth Llanwenarth Baptist Church 1652-2002: the history of the oldest Baptist fellowship now existing in Wales, by Peter Baines. Abergavenny: Govilan Village History Group, 2002. 208pp.

Manselton These Hundred Years: a history of Christ Well – Manselton United Reformed Church 1906-2006, by Robert Pope. The Church, 2006.

Moreton A Short History of Moreton Presbyterian Church 1906-2006, by Gwyn Owen. Hoylake: The Church, 2006. 58pp.

Neath A History of the Presbyterian Church of Wales at London Road, Neath. The Church, 2004.

Nercwys 'Soar Chapel' by Elizabeth Ingham and 'Gobeithfa - The Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Chapel' by Irfon Oldfield in Our Village: Nercwys, by T.W. Pritchard and Norma Evans. Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2000, pp.124-31.

Newtown A History of Crescent Chapel, Newtown. The Chapel, 2004. 60pp.

Newtown Wesley Methodist Church, Newtown: the first 200 years, by Glyn Tegai Hughes. Wesley Methodist Church, Newtown, Powys, 2000. 24pp.

Penyfai Smyrna Baptist Chapel, Penyfai, Glamorgan: celebrating 300 years of worship. The Chapel, 2006.

Ponthir The History of Ponthir Baptist Church (1803-2003), by Nigel D. Burge. Monmouth: The Author, 2003. 94pp.

Sketty Memories Down the Years, ed. Janet M. Neilson. Sketty Methodist Church (c/o 19 Gabalfa Road, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8NF), 2001. 88pp.

Trecenydd St Cenydd Road Presbyterian Church, Trecenydd (Beddau Mission) 1906-2006. The Church, 2006. 44pp.

The Chapel, 2007. 16p.