Bethesda Baptist Chapel

Bethesda Baptist Chapel stands in Aberaman, a district of Aberdare in South Wales. It is a Welsh Baptist church with services still held in the Welsh language. The building follows a Classical style with two storeys and a gable-entry plan. Behind the main building lies a hall, Sunday school and vestry. The chapel is Grade II listed for its classical facade, original interior furnishings and unusual panelled ceiling. The chapel’s origins trace back to 1854 when a small group from Gwawr chapel began prayer meetings in what was then called Cap Coch. In 1856 two houses in Jenkin Street were converted into a chapel, opened that September by the Revs. Thomas Price, T. Nicholas and W. Williams. The church was formally incorporated in 1860 with 39 members transferring from Gwawr. James Jones served as minister from 1862 to 1869, during which a new chapel seating 600 was built in 1864. The building was extensively renovated in 1938 and again in 1950 under ministers Mathias Jenkins and Arthur G. Llewelyn. Some members from Calfaria Chapel in Aberdare joined Bethesda after their own chapel closed due to low membership. The chapel remains one of the few Welsh Baptist churches still active in the area.