St Cynon
Tregynon, Powys
An ancient church, overlooking the beautiful Bechan valley in rural mid Wales.
A charming 18th century wayside Wesleyan chapel established by Revd James Buckley (of 'The Revd James' ale fame) and Revd James Gill, later missionary to Gibraltar.
Berriew, Powys
Opened on September 23, 1798 and described as 'neat and creditable', the chapel is build of red brick (Flemish bond) with eight round-headed windows and a slate roof. It has 15 panelled pews with two either side of a railed pulpit and a gallery with benches (converted to pews in 1799) mounted on two cast iron columns. Semi derelict by its 200th anniversary, it has been charmingly restored; given a Georgian colour scheme, fittings reinstated and the pulpit returned to its original configuration. Additionally, it now has elegant pendant lights, replica pew candlesticks and safety rails made from 200 year old English rolled bar.
It was registered as a Methodist Heritage Site in 2003 and is featured in TJ Hughes's 'Wales's Best One Hundred Churches' (Seren Books, 2006). Research revealed links to many of John Wesley's itinerants, such as William Fish and William Warrener (missionaries to Jamaica and Antigua), Richard Whatcoat (ordained by JW for America) and Cleland Kirkpatrick, a one armed ex Royal Naval seaman turned preacher, to name just a few. Their stories and those of the founding ministers are partly recorded on the display boards with information about the first Methodist Missionary Society, the provision of Wesleyan Missionary ships in the Pacific and the abolition of slavery.
A major scheme in 2012 saw new windows installed and replacement of a lean to building by a Georgian style porch plus conversion of the stable into a meeting room with full facilities and parking, work which saw the chapel's inclusion, despite its location, in Christopher Wakeling's 'Chapels of England: Buildings of Protestant Nonconformity' (English Heritage, 2007), another testament to the fascinating story of the chapel and its remarkable survival.
Tregynon, Powys
An ancient church, overlooking the beautiful Bechan valley in rural mid Wales.
Llandyssil, Powys
An unusual example of a ‘tractarian’ church that remains virtually unspoilt.
Newtown, Powys
Vibrant church - its crowning glory is the tower. It is square at base but turns octagonal at the belfry stage, chimney on north side, and is crowned by a short spire.