Merthyr Synagogue

Merthyr Synagogue stands on Bryntirion Road in Thomastown, Merthyr Tydfil. It is a Grade II listed building and the oldest purpose-built synagogue in Wales. The Jewish congregation formed in 1848 when Merthyr was a major centre of the Industrial Revolution. The first synagogue on John Street opened between 1852 and 1855 but was demolished in the 1990s. A larger building replaced it in 1877, designed by local architect Charles Taylor in Gothic Revival style. The congregation once had 27 head-of-household members in 1900, but by 2011 only four remained. The building is a striking four-storey stone structure with Gothic details. A double stone staircase leads to the entrance, above which sits a pair of pointed-arch windows. Two hexagonal turrets rise three storeys, topped with conical roofs. The front gable features a Welsh dragon, believed to be unique among synagogues. Architectural historian Sharman Kadish describes it as a ‘double-turreted Gothic folly’ and one of the UK’s most important synagogues. In 1960, L. S. Lowry painted the synagogue during a visit to Wales. Visitors now find a building undergoing restoration by the Foundation for Jewish Heritage. Essential repairs were completed in 2021, partly funded by Cadw. A £3.9 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will transform it into a Jewish Heritage Centre, planned to open in 2025. The former Torah Ark has been preserved in the raised basement. The exterior remains intact, including its dramatic turrets and dragon emblem. The site reflects both the town’s industrial past and its Jewish heritage.