HISTORY CORNER: Capel Bâch y Drindod

IT was once said that on the parlour walls of many houses in Newcastle Emlyn hung an etching of the castle which showed a cottage and a little church standing quite near the outer defences of the stronghold. They were of course referring to an etching of a drawing by Henry Gastineau made around 1830.

This little church had nothing to do with the castle as that had its own chapel. This church or 'chapel' was known as Capel Bâch y Drindod or Little Chapel of the Trinity. Newcastle Emlyn was in the Parish of Cenarth and this was a chapel of ease or subsidiary of St. Llawddog's Church at Cenarth.

An earlier chapel had existed here and was recorded in 1552. Documentary evidence states that the ‘Capel Bâch’ had been erected within the foundations of this mediaeval chapel, which means that the ‘Capel Bâch’ was smaller in size than the original chapel that stood on the same site. The ‘Capel Bâch’ served the church folk of Newcastle Emlyn from 1780 to 1842, 62 years. There was a curate in charge in 1744 and the following years, but by 1780 only the foundations of the mediaeval church were known.

When the ‘Capel Bâch’ first came into being the people who erected it were very careful to insist that it was built by public subscription. The curious thing about this little church was that in 1839 no evidence of any kind could be discovered that it had ever been consecrated.

There was no churchyard, nor were any marriages performed in the building until it was licensed for that purpose in 1839. It may be of interest to learn that the first marriage in the little church was that of John Griffiths, widower, a shoemaker, son of David Griffiths, labourer and Mary James, a widow, daughter of David Lewis, labourer, all of the town of Newcastle Emlyn, officiating clergyman was the Rev John Pryce Jones, curate in 1838. He became Perpetual Curate of Holy Trinity Church in 1841 and then Vicar to 1889.

During the period 1780 to 1840 there were great changes in Newcastle Emlyn due to the increasing demand for cattle and agriculture produce of all kinds created by the French Civil Wars and of late the opening up of industries in south east Carmarthenshire.

Everybody has heard of the wonderful fairs of Newcastle Emlyn, We mentioned these earlier on This was a period that saw their rapid growth, the town consequently increased in size.

It was now found that the accommodation at ‘Capel Bâch’ was very inadequate for the needs of the community and visions of a new Church were conjured up, but the site on which the ‘Capel Bâch’ stood was cramped and there were other difficulties.

When it was decided to erect a new and larger church and surround it with a churchyard nothing remained but to search for a new site. It was not a callous disregard for historical association but necessity that decided the site where the present church stands.

In 1842 when Holy Trinity Church was built the Capel Bâch was used as the National School before the new school was built next to the Church in 1856. Following a period as a storehouse it was finally demolished.

During the construction of a car park at the castle entrance in 1982, human remains were discovered on the site. Workmen employed under the Manservices Power Commission Project by Carmarthen District Council on renovation work at the castle found the skeleton while setting some kerb stones. The skeleton was almost intact and the police were informed and the skull was taken to Carmarthen for investigation. The police decided that it was very ancient and it was handed to Dyfed Archaeological Trust.

In 1993 enhancement of the same car park resulted in a trial trench being dug, revealing the south wall of the chapel along with five burials. These burials appeared to have been placed between the foundations of the 1780 chapel and the mediaeval one. A commemorative plate was placed on the wall of the car park which is on the right hand side as you approach the castle gates.

Back to the new Church, it was built in 1842 and consecrated on September 15. On June 10, 1843 it was elevated to the dignity of a Parish Church and a Parish assigned to it by order in Council.

(To be continued).