Consultation launched over rescue plans for historic chapel

Nation.Cymru staff

A consultation has been launched over plans to rescue a chapel with more than 200 years of history which has fallen into disrepair.

Residents in Denbigh are being asked to help shape the future of Capel Mawr, a Grade II* listed building with seating for around 1,000 people.

Originally built in 1793 as a Calvinistic Methodist chapel, it was rebuilt in 1829, with a schoolroom and vestry added in 1867. The present chapel dates from 1880.

It is one of only 13 Grade II* listed chapels in Wales owned by the Presbyterian Church of Wales, and the only one in the Vale of Clwyd Presbytery.

The Rev Dr Andras Iago said: “It’s one of Denbigh’s most important buildings and one of the most significant places of worship in Wales.

“For it to continue serving the town, we need a concrete plan for its future because, as well as being a big building, it’s an expensive one to maintain.”

The chapel’s history is closely connected to Gwasg Gee, the Denbigh publishing house responsible for influential Welsh-language publications including Y Traethodydd, Y Gwyddoniadur and Baner ac Amserau Cymru.

Thomas Gee, a prominent Calvinistic Methodist preacher as well as a publisher, was a member of the chapel. So was author Kate Roberts, who bought Gwasg Gee with her husband, Morris T. Williams, in 1935 and lived and worked in Denbigh for the following fifty years.

Capel Mawr remains a place of worship, with services every Sunday.

Dr Iago said: “For decades it has been run for the benefit of the whole community, thanks to the faithful work of our elders, members and custodians. Local organisations use the building and important events have been held there.

“So this isn’t so much starting something new as building on a legacy and writing a new chapter in the history of Denbigh.”

The project will examine how rooms could be used or adapted, how the building could be run, its costs and potential sources of income.

Options

Caryl Lewis, from specialist consultancy CELyn, is leading the community engagement work, while architects Donald Insall Associates are assessing options for the building.

A steering committee, supported by the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Clocaenog Wind Farm Fund, will use the survey findings to inform its plans.

Dr Iago said: “We want to hear what local people want to see and want to hear their ideas about how the building could be used, and, importantly, how it can be preserved and protected.”

Residents can explore the chapel during tours on Saturdays, October 10 and 17, between 2pm and 4pm.

“Anyone who is interested can come along for a short tour to hear the history, see just how huge the building really is, and have a nose around all its different spaces,” Dr Iago added.

The survey closes on Monday, October 19, and takes around five minutes to complete. It is available at smartsurvey.co.uk/t/CapelMawr, with paper copies available at the chapel.

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