Slavery, Beer and the Bible!

 

Users of the back road linking Welshpool to Newtown via villages like Bettws and Berriew have probably never noticed a small chapel and, if they had, they probably shook their heads at its decaying exterior.

 

But things have changed and Friday marks a return to splendour for Pentre Llifior Methodist Church, which is the second oldest in Wales and home to a host of diverse stories linking it to The Revd James ale and even the abolition of slavery.

 

“There is a wealth of history associated to the chapel so it was important to return it back to its former glory,” said Stan Mountford, speaking on behalf of a band of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to save the chapel for more than a decade.

 

And their hard work will pay off this Friday when the first Wesleyan preaching house in North Wales is officially re-opened following a lot of TLC.

 

“In 1998 there was a 200th anniversary since it opened but sadly it was expected to be a closing service since there were only two members at the time,” said Stan.
 

“But, fortunately this was not the case and the congregation has grown over the last 10 years which coincided with a significant effort to restore the chapel. This has culminated in the building project of 2011/12 when we added a kitchen, toilet and car park to the old Stable Building and replaced windows, rewiring, redecorating, rebuilding the porch and repointing some walls.”

 

The effort came at a cost of £115,000, not including the thousands of hours of free labour.

 

“We were fortunate to receive some generous support and after going a bit over budget we borrowed £12,000 from Chapel Aid which we are to repay over the next four years.

“We were originally trying to do all the changes on the Chapel building but had no land to extend and were kindly assisted with a very generous sale/gift of land for £1 and by a peppercorn lease of land for car park.”

 

On Friday, a rededication Service starts at 7pm when the Chapel will be ‘opened’ by The Rev Sue Lawler, the new Superintendent Minister of Welshpool & Bro Hafren Methodist Circuit along with The Rev Stephen Wigley, Chairman of Synod Wales, and The Rev The Lord Griffiths of Burry Port who will lead the rededication.

 

“We have a guest list of around 100 people expected to be present that evening and thereafter we hope to really start opening up the facilities for the local people to use,” explained Stan.

“We see this as a new beginning and are looking to have people use the meeting room and facilities for coffee mornings, clubs, societies in addition to the Chapel's own activities.”

 

Services are held on a weekly basis and the Chapel is currently open Wednesday and Thursdays from 2-4pm for visitors as a Heritage Site (and at other times by prior arrangement).

 

 

The Chapel’s first Minister and responsible for the building being erected in the first place was The Rev. James Buckley, as in 'The Revd James' fine ale sold in many pubs. He married the eldest daughter of a Llanelli Brewery owner which was eventually bought out by Brains.
 

Pentre Llifior Chapel was instrumental in petitioning the Houses of Parliament which resulted in the Abolition of Slavery.