I've explored quite a lot of Welsh chapels over the last few years and most of them, because of their inherent small size, I don't have nearly enough in the way of photos of to make a meaty standalone thread out of. I love them, many of them are very photogenic and have been empty for a number of years and all of them seem to have enough differences to make them all interesting in some way. You can't help but find these places in Wales as wherever you go every town or village appears to have a chapel in some sort of disrepair whether it's still being used, has been converted or is sat derelict.
Dinas Noddfa Chapel, Swansea, November 2016
Dinas Noddfa is located in the Plasmarl area of Swansea. The chapel was founded in 1824 and rebuilt a couple of times before being rebuilt in 1884 in it's current Italian Romanesque design. It closed around 2007 and has been derelict ever since, and is Grade II listed. The pews at ground level have been stripped out and the attached school hall is little more than a shell but the balcony level shows just how lovely it used to be.
My shots from here aren't the best, it was a very overcast grey November morning and available light was poor to say the least!
Calvaria Baptist Chapel, Llanelli, February 2017
I had originally planned to see this place on the same trip I visited Dinas Noddfa on, however at the location before Calvaria - which was ultimately a failure - I badly twisted my ankle and by the time we'd arrived at Calvaria I realised I could barely walk so the plans were quickly shelved much to my disappointment.
Calvaria, or Calfaria, depending on where you look, was opened in 1881 and rebuilt in 1888. It operated for over a century before closing in the early 2000s. It's suffered quite badly at the hands of the local morons, one of the staircases up to the balcony level has long been burned out, the smoke damage from which has given the whole chapel a dark grey colouring. Add the large pigeon infestation into the mix and it's pretty damn grim in there.
Capel Garth, Porthmadog May 2017
Capel Garth, a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel, was built in 1898 on Bank Place in Porthmadog. It closed in 1999 and has since been converted into apartments.
I was tipped off about this one whilst in the area so we swung past and had a look. I had been told before arriving that stripping out work had begun a couple of weeks earlier prior to it's imminent conversion but I didn't let that put me off. After finding the way in I'd been told about sealed shut I left Landie Man on the street and went for a closer look around, soon enough I spotted an alternate way in with a sizable drop on the other side but we made it stick, it helped that the stripping crew had left some nice large box speakers in the basement which definitely assisted in the exit!
I went in first and after a bit of a faff found the way up to the ground floor level, and I was heartbroken to see how much had been stripped out. All the pews had gone, along with most of the balcony apart from the section along the front wall. However the ceiling was still intact and absolutely beautiful, which was some saving grace at least.
Salem Methodist Chapel, Arthog May 2017
Probably my favourite little Welsh chapel out of all the ones I've visited, and I know it's a good few other people's favourites as well. The light inside is so nice, the decay so photogenic, and it's really well tucked away.
Salem was built originally in 1833 and rebuilt in 1868 in the gothic gable-entry style to plans by the renowned and prolific chapel architect Thomas Thomas of Landore. It closed in 1973 and has remained derelict ever since, slowly but surely falling apart and collapsing. Thanks to it's location nestled between a main road and a road on a hill behind it, at some points you're in the weird situation of being able to watch people walking up the road through the holes in the roof.
Tin Tabernacle, Corris Uchaf May 2017
Quite a well known little ruin, a rare surviving Welsh tin chapel in the middle of nowhere. There isn't a lot of readily available info about this place but it was built as a subsidiary tabernacle for the Holy Trinity Church in nearby Corris.
The last I heard it had been stripped out and/or demolished I really don't know, I know soon after I went someone took up residence inside in a tent.
Capel Saron, near Abertridwr November 2017
This is a tiny, remote single roomed chapel in the middle of nowhere next to a holiday caravan park - it's the smallest abandoned building I've ever photographed that much is for sure.
Beerseba Independent Chapel, near Foel November 2017
An accidental find, we were heading along the A458 and spotted an inviting looking derelict building which turned out to be a lovely little chapel still with many things in it. Beerseba was built in 1805 and rebuilt in 1843 in the Vernacular style with a long-wall entry plan. It closed in 2002 and has been derelict since.
Thanks for looking as always. When we're allowed back into Wales again I hope to be able to shoot more of these.
Dinas Noddfa Chapel, Swansea, November 2016
Dinas Noddfa is located in the Plasmarl area of Swansea. The chapel was founded in 1824 and rebuilt a couple of times before being rebuilt in 1884 in it's current Italian Romanesque design. It closed around 2007 and has been derelict ever since, and is Grade II listed. The pews at ground level have been stripped out and the attached school hall is little more than a shell but the balcony level shows just how lovely it used to be.
My shots from here aren't the best, it was a very overcast grey November morning and available light was poor to say the least!
Calvaria Baptist Chapel, Llanelli, February 2017
I had originally planned to see this place on the same trip I visited Dinas Noddfa on, however at the location before Calvaria - which was ultimately a failure - I badly twisted my ankle and by the time we'd arrived at Calvaria I realised I could barely walk so the plans were quickly shelved much to my disappointment.
Calvaria, or Calfaria, depending on where you look, was opened in 1881 and rebuilt in 1888. It operated for over a century before closing in the early 2000s. It's suffered quite badly at the hands of the local morons, one of the staircases up to the balcony level has long been burned out, the smoke damage from which has given the whole chapel a dark grey colouring. Add the large pigeon infestation into the mix and it's pretty damn grim in there.
Capel Garth, Porthmadog May 2017
Capel Garth, a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel, was built in 1898 on Bank Place in Porthmadog. It closed in 1999 and has since been converted into apartments.
I was tipped off about this one whilst in the area so we swung past and had a look. I had been told before arriving that stripping out work had begun a couple of weeks earlier prior to it's imminent conversion but I didn't let that put me off. After finding the way in I'd been told about sealed shut I left Landie Man on the street and went for a closer look around, soon enough I spotted an alternate way in with a sizable drop on the other side but we made it stick, it helped that the stripping crew had left some nice large box speakers in the basement which definitely assisted in the exit!
I went in first and after a bit of a faff found the way up to the ground floor level, and I was heartbroken to see how much had been stripped out. All the pews had gone, along with most of the balcony apart from the section along the front wall. However the ceiling was still intact and absolutely beautiful, which was some saving grace at least.
Salem Methodist Chapel, Arthog May 2017
Probably my favourite little Welsh chapel out of all the ones I've visited, and I know it's a good few other people's favourites as well. The light inside is so nice, the decay so photogenic, and it's really well tucked away.
Salem was built originally in 1833 and rebuilt in 1868 in the gothic gable-entry style to plans by the renowned and prolific chapel architect Thomas Thomas of Landore. It closed in 1973 and has remained derelict ever since, slowly but surely falling apart and collapsing. Thanks to it's location nestled between a main road and a road on a hill behind it, at some points you're in the weird situation of being able to watch people walking up the road through the holes in the roof.
Tin Tabernacle, Corris Uchaf May 2017
Quite a well known little ruin, a rare surviving Welsh tin chapel in the middle of nowhere. There isn't a lot of readily available info about this place but it was built as a subsidiary tabernacle for the Holy Trinity Church in nearby Corris.
The last I heard it had been stripped out and/or demolished I really don't know, I know soon after I went someone took up residence inside in a tent.
Capel Saron, near Abertridwr November 2017
This is a tiny, remote single roomed chapel in the middle of nowhere next to a holiday caravan park - it's the smallest abandoned building I've ever photographed that much is for sure.
Beerseba Independent Chapel, near Foel November 2017
An accidental find, we were heading along the A458 and spotted an inviting looking derelict building which turned out to be a lovely little chapel still with many things in it. Beerseba was built in 1805 and rebuilt in 1843 in the Vernacular style with a long-wall entry plan. It closed in 2002 and has been derelict since.
Thanks for looking as always. When we're allowed back into Wales again I hope to be able to shoot more of these.
the wood was all being cut up but it looked like they were saving the ornate panels as they were left intact, hopefully they found a new home somewhere. 
