Ystradgynlais & District

Eglwys Ddduw is located upon Wind Road, Glanrhyd, near to the zebra crossing and the rear pedestrian entrance to the primary school. In the Llais newspaper in the 1940s it is referred to as "Glanrhyd Gospel Hall".

Eglwys Dduw was opened in 1922, and was probably an independent non-denominational mission hall, something which became a feature of Welsh Christianity after the revival of 1905. It was an English-language chapel, and the location in the later twentieth century for Sunday school, and Band of Hope on a Wednesday night.

Whilst its early years are more of a mystery, there are many fond memories of the decades of the later part of the twentieth century. One memory from earlier in the century, is that the late Mrs May Evans, born in 1902, played the organ at Eglwys Dduw when she was young. Other prominent members, as remembered, were Mr Holt who lived next door to the chapel, Mr Element, who lived on Wind Road and the Lewis sisters , who owned a drapers shop opposite the chapel. Baptisms were performed there, and there was a sort of pool or baptistry in this period.

Services were certainly held at the hall, with preachers including Fred Powell, who owned a drapers shop in Ystalyfera, and in later years the Rev Llewellyn Jones of Tabernacl and Libanus preached a few times as guest preacher.

In later years, Eglwys Dduw was run by Tom Hamer (pronounced 'haymer') from Glanrhyd and Meurig Roberts from Ystalyfera, who ran it as an independant outreach work not affiliated to anyone else. It was variously described by others as 'pentecostal' or a 'gospel hall'. Sadly, both of the last men who ran Eglwys Dduw have now passed away, and the hall appears to be in limbo regarding legal ownership.

It is worthy of note, that all of those who shared their memories of Eglwys Dduw with us recall happy and joyful times, and remember the people who ran it as lovely and caring. If its time has come, then there is no better epitaph than that.

Eglwys Dduw, photographed September 2015		Eglwys Dduw in a photograph from Google

Eglwys Dduw is on the junction of Wind Road, the main road through Glanrhyd, and Croesffrydd, which leads to Maesydderwen School and the leisure centre.

The date stone for Eglwys Dduw reads:-
EGLWYS DDUW
19 GLANRHYD 22

In 2018, Powys County Council carried out work to remove the trees growing in front of the doors, and to to repair the guttering and make safe the roof.

Views of Eglwys Dduw

These photographs of Eglwys Dduw, were taken in July 2019.