In common with many areas of Wales religion has played a major part in our community. This was particularly true in the early days of Pontyclun’s growth.
There are 5 Churches/Chapels in Pontyclun, three of which are still open today providing Religious and Community services to our area. This is in addition to the 6 more i
n Brynsadler, Miskin and Groesfaen.
There have been Baptists in the area since the mid 1600’s, however, no church until Bethel Baptist Church, Pontyclun was founded by Charles Higton in 1876.
They initially met in the Pastor’s front room in School Street. Very quickly it became too small and a builder who had just completed a contract for the railway offered to leave a shed for them. This was quickly fitted out for services.
By the early 1880s Rev. Higton and the congregation saw need for a larger building. They found land along the main road and Mr John Cory a leading Christian businessman based in Cardiff was approached, and kindly agreed to lend money for the building. When he died the church was left free of debt in his will.
The Church continued to grow and shortly after the second world war had its first full time minister, Rev Idris Jones on a salary of £2 and 15 shillings per week!
Over the years the Church improved the building, however it closed in 1990 due to storm damage and the church moved to a purpose built premises on Heol Miskin in 1993.
Early in 1910 the growing English speaking members of Zion Chapel in Brynsadler started their own Chapel in Pontyclun. Initially Zion only provided services in Welsh, though with the growing number of English only speaking members bi-lingual services were offered but in due course even this was not considered suitable and the English congregation moved. This became Hope Presbyterian Chapel
Initially with 20 members by the end of 1911 it had 61 members a Sunday school and an income of £333 11 shillings and 8 pence. By 1919 continued expansion meant a school room was added to the building.
The first full time minister was engaged in March 1926 (Rev. David Stanley Hopkins)
Further rebuilding and extensions were done in the 1970s
In 2004 a decision was made to merge Penuel & Trinity Church in Llantrisant with Hope Chapel forming Hope Penuel on 1st January 2005
St Paul’s church was built in 1895 at a cost of £1600. Built by Mr John Morgan of Pontyclun from plans drawn up by ecclesiastical architect E M Bruce esq.
The funds were raised by public donations with G T Clark of Talygarn donating about £400 of the total. This is over £65k in today’s money.
The church, initially known as St Paul’s church at Llantrisant Station, was licensed for worship by the Bishop of Llandaf on Thursday 27th June 1895. It was a “daughter church” in the Parish of Llantrisant
As the population of the area around Llantrisant increased due to industrial development, new and more manageable parishes were formed, an example being the separation of “Pontyclun and Talygarn” from the parish of Llantrisant, whereupon St Paul’s became the Parish Church.
In 1923 the newly formed Conventional District of Pontyclun and Talygarn came into being under the leadership of the Rev.J.Jones-Davies, who had been Curate at Pontyclun for the previous seven years. He remained the Vicar of the parish until his retirement in 1961.
Tabernacle Welsh Congregational Chapel was built in 1892. It sits on Cowbridge Road in the centre of Pontyclun.
This chapel is built in the Simple Round-Headed style with two storeys, a gable entry plan, tall windows with Y glazing and a central round window.
In its prime it would have seated over 400 people. One notable regular visitor to the chapel was Clara Novello-Davies who used to come down from Cardiff with her choir and young son (Ivor Novello) to give concerts here.
It is now used as Office space
This former Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in 1898 and sits on the corner of Cowbridge Road and Palalwyf Avenue in Pontyclun.
It is in simple gothic style with a gable entry.
There is an inscribed stone on the gable near the top which reads “Bible Christian Methodist AD 1899”
The Bible Christians are most known for their strong Cornish links. We know that many Cornish miners moved here in the Victorian age to take up work locally and it would seem that they brought their religious beliefs with them.
Currently used as an Art Gallery and shop
