Peniel Chapel, Wales, July 2020

Derelict Places

Help Support Derelict Places:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

FunkyMuffin

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Messages
316
Reaction score
431
Location
Bedfordshire
History: Peniel Chapel is a former Calvinistic Methodist chapel. It is one of five Grade l listed nonconformist chapels in Wales. The chapel was the first building to be constructed for the settlement of Tremadog and is located opposite the birthplace of T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"). It opened its doors on Feb 18,1810. An interior gallery was built in 1840 and the exterior portico (columned front) was completed in 1849. The property was further expanded through the late 19th century, with a dwelling house added in 1850, a schoolroom in 1880, and a new front stage area in 1898. The ceiling was replaced in 1910.

The chapel was sold to the Addoldai Cymru Trust in 2010 for £100. The date the building was officially transferred to the Trust was on 18 February 2010 – 200 years to the day from when the chapel opened. It claims to have been fully restored by 2010 but after 10 years the interior shows peeling paint and rapid decay. They have once again painted the exterior of the building and the ceiling inside. The rest needs to be finished but it seems to be a dumping ground for all sorts of stuff, the back packed to the ceiling with junk.

The explore: This was a permission visit. After exchanging several emails with a lovely woman on a Welsh Chapel website, the Funky Muffins waited patiently at our designated time for a phone call from the key holder. “Hello?” I answer the phone. An elderly woman with the thickest Welsh accent I’ve ever heard is trying to give me directions to her house to pick up the key. She’s talking like I know the place. “Go past the square, turn left I’m the house on the left” errr, too many houses, and where’s the square I enquire. “Just stay where you are, I’m coming” at this point I feel real bad for making a shielding old lady come out of her house. Not 5 minutes later here she comes trekking down the street at warp speed. “This is the 3rd time I’ve had to walk down here today”. I thought she was going to read us the riot act but she ended up being the sweetest, dearest woman I’ve ever met. She chatted endlessly and let us in, gave us the keys, showed us where to turn the power on and told us where to hand the keys back in. Off she went, I do hope she’s been keeping well through this covid, what a gem she was!


C0F9706C-6D81-475A-87D1-EFDB7ECB07C0.jpeg


11405657-68DF-4CAC-B886-4945721A5C1F.jpeg


87E2C890-6E81-4096-9E22-ED50454FD171.jpeg


229C774D-EBC6-40FE-9597-255C877EAB7D.jpeg


D0C0DD81-9E8D-467D-A181-2D28D2B6D9C0.jpeg


1B7EC769-8D22-47A7-866F-0F433DD12C81.jpeg


048A5715-75AE-4BEB-9C47-192884F309CC.jpeg


6DAC5137-3FB1-4CC8-8F2A-3EBA87896741.jpeg


89228879-A842-4D46-B2F1-BDFEED252682.jpeg


C34A662B-2932-4682-9287-FC9E75CBA70A.jpeg


Thanks for looking
 
Last edited:
Visited it in 1990. Ceiling and interior walls in better state then. (PS Excellent photos, better than mine)
 
History: Peniel Chapel is a former Calvinistic Methodist chapel. It is one of five Grade l listed nonconformist chapels in Wales. The chapel was the first building to be constructed for the settlement of Tremadog and is located opposite the birthplace of T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"). It opened its doors on Feb 18,1810. An interior gallery was built in 1840 and the exterior portico (columned front) was completed in 1849. The property was further expanded through the late 19th century, with a dwelling house added in 1850, a schoolroom in 1880, and a new front stage area in 1898. The ceiling was replaced in 1910.

The chapel was sold to the Addoldai Cymru Trust in 2010 for £100. The date the building was officially transferred to the Trust was on 18 February 2010 – 200 years to the day from when the chapel opened. It claims to have been fully restored by 2010 but after 10 years the interior shows peeling paint and rapid decay. They have once again painted the exterior of the building and the ceiling inside. The rest needs to be finished but it seems to be a dumping ground for all sorts of stuff, the back packed to the ceiling with junk.

The explore: This was a permission visit. After exchanging several emails with a lovely woman on a Welsh Chapel website, the Funky Muffins waited patiently at our designated time for a phone call from the key holder. “Hello?” I answer the phone. An elderly woman with the thickest Welsh accent I’ve ever heard is trying to give me directions to her house to pick up the key. She’s talking like I know the place. “Go past the square, turn left I’m the house on the left” errr, too many houses, and where’s the square I enquire. “Just stay where you are, I’m coming” at this point I feel real bad for making a shielding old lady come out of her house. Not 5 minutes later here she comes trekking down the street at warp speed. “This is the 3rd time I’ve had to walk down here today”. I thought she was going to read us the riot act but she ended up being the sweetest, dearest woman I’ve ever met. She chatted endlessly and let us in, gave us the keys, showed us where to turn the power on and told us where to hand the keys back in. Off she went, I do hope she’s been keeping well through this covid, what a gem she was!


View attachment 505330

View attachment 505331

View attachment 505332

View attachment 505333

View attachment 505334

View attachment 505335

View attachment 505336

View attachment 505337

View attachment 505338

View attachment 505339

Thanks for looking
 

Latest posts

Back
Top