Old Bethel Cemetery - Mynwent Hen Fethel

I’m Dafydd Bevan, and I’m the Treasurer and Secretary of Old Bethel Cemetery in the Aman Valley, Carmarthenshire, South-west Wales.

The chapel stands on the north side of the valley, and in days gone by was on the main road to Llandeilo. Now the road is a narrow track leading down to Garnant. Old Bethel Chapel, which was also known as The Old Meeting House, was built in 1773 high on the north side of the valley between Glanamman and Garnant. Pevsner describes the pulpit on a wine-glass stem as an "exceptional rarity".

We use the chapel mainly at Christmas when we hold a “Plygain” service at 6am on Christman day. As there is no power on site, this is a candlelit affair, with a roaring coal fire to heat the brave congregation.

We currently have two problems with the site:

the first and most pressing is that the old ruined stable block is in danger of falling into the nearby public footpath. The council have closed the path, and we are having to pay up to £800 per annum for this closure. We urgently need to raise funds to make the ruin secure so that the public footpath may reopen.

the second issue is that we urgently need funds to maintain and repair the old chapel.volunteers have done this in the past, but recent examination has shown that more extensive work will be needed to keep this treasured part of our history available for use in services for the next 100 years.

Burials are still taking place in the cemetary, and the quiet stillness of the place is a balm for the soul, especially for people visiting their deceased family and friends.

I and the friends if the cemetery and chapel would be extremely grateful if you could help us raise the funds to save and restore this unique site in the Amman Valley.