Back in 1880 there was a small community at Nant-Gwyllt Shelly lived there at the manor for a time and no doubt visited the small chapel there. People used to attend services there on a Sunday afternoon lead by a pastor who would visit on horseback. Nearby children would go to the school and a watermill cut timber and ground grain near the church. This would all change in 1893 when Birmingham Waterworks Company built a dam across the Claerwen valley. By 1896 the community had disappeared under the Caban-coch Reservoir
The old chapel before it was submerged in the reservoir
The map above is one I found and is dated just before work began on the reservoir, the chapel is not marked with a cross like OS maps but I think is towards the bottom of the map
In this valley there used be the little community of Nant-gwyllt
A new church was built nearby by Birmingham Waterworks Company to replace the old drowned one.
This was the first time I came across the church back in 2008, at the time I thought it was closed up and derelict but I found the porch open and went in for a look round and some photos.
Moving on to 2104 and the place looks different, gone are the tall trees surrounding it
Nearby is the church information board with some history on it as well
The path leading to the church
Here we look at the church from the west end with the Reservoir that took it's predecessor in the background
View from the churchyard looking towards the reservoir
The Chance arch
Very nice wood pulpit
The Chancel with choir pews
The altar and chancel windows
The scripture open looking towards the chancel
Chancel arc and memorials in the church
View up the nave from the chancel arch
Chancel arc and memorials in the church
John Pickering memorial
One of the windows that let in so much light
The organ the peddles tell how much use it has had
A lone floral display on the window
At the back by the entrance is a small exhibit of photos taken when the work was being done building the dam
One of the windows that let in so much light
The organ the peddles tell how much use it has had
At the back by the entrance is a small exhibit of photos taken when the work was being done building the dam
The oil lamps are quite special
10 comments:
Great to see relics of the old drowned church preserved in the new one
Lovely! It's nice that you are able to get interior shots. Tom The Backroads Traveller
great post for this terrific church
i always think oh, i love the outside & all the surroundings. & then you take me inside. so many views. great beauty. ( :
I love this church and the story of the drowned village. I wonder what you can see in a drought?
Fascinating, Bill. Notwithstanding the sadness in this tale, the new chapel does look quietly impressive.
Such beauty here. I wonder if the old cemetery was moved before the reservoir was created. Thanks for sharing it.
Love the map
I LOVED all the photographs...so much to like in the church and love the path leading up to it. The inside is beautiful...and the countryside is, too.
It looked much nicer when the trees surrounded it. What a shame they were felled.
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