Abertillery History

King Street Baptist Chapel. In the mid 19th century English speaking Baptists at Abertillery held their prayer meetings at the homes of the various members, mostly at the home of Mr Watkin Rowlands at Forge Row, Abertillery. Mr Hill. On Sunday 4th of April 1852, a sermon was preached by Mr Hill, a student at Pontypool College. The Founders of …

The Bible Christian Chapel – Red Brick Chapel Cwmtillery. The construction of a Bible Christian chapel was proposed at Cwmtillery in 1871. The Original Chapel. On Good Friday, 7th of April 1871, the ceremony of the laying of the Foundation Stones took place. Over 350 people watched the ceremony take place on the land of the South Wales Collieries. The …

St Paul’s Church Cwmtillery. Prior to St Paul’s Church being build the people of Cwmtillery held services in the Colliers Hall, which was of inconvenience to the worshippers and a new church was proposed and planned. The Rev Evan Davies was responsible for the cost of the church. The Site. The site which the church was to be built was …

Cwmtillery Primitive Methodist Chapel. Methodists entered Cwmtillery in about 1860, they worshipped from a rented room. When the room was taken from them, they continued services in the house of an old member with the Sunday School in the house of another. The Original Primitive Methodist Chapel. A small chapel was built in 1872 aligned east to west, being enlarged …

Christchurch Aberbeeg – Llanhilleth New Parish Church. In the late 1890’s the old Parish Church “St Illtyds” was becoming unfit for purpose, it was on the summit of a steep hill, could only seat 84 people and even though it had had recent repairs and renovations it was not up to the standard of a parish church with a growing …

Cwm Street Primitive Methodist Tabernacle Chapel – Abertillery. Mr Charles Saunders. The Methodist Movement at Abertillery was said to have begun in 1847 at the house of Mr Charles Saunders at the Kings Head, Abertillery.  Mr Thomas Preece. Mr Thomas Preece was invited to preach at Abertillery and was later persuaded to come to this district to reside. At this …

Abertillery Wesleyan Church. The Wesleyan Methodist Society, Abertillery was first started in the district in about 1849. The first meetings were held at temporary premises in Six Bells. The church building was proposed in 1851 and built in 1854 on the site which was given by the Messrs T. P. Price family of Brecon, who owned the Penybont, Tillery Colliery, …

The Parish Church – St Illtyds. (Information to come).

Abertillery Operatic Society. The Abertillery Operatic Society was formed on Wednesday 6th December 1916 after a meeting held in the Church School, Abertillery. The meeting voted Dr Gordon Bennett as (President) along with a number of prominent ladies and gentlemen to be vice-presidents. Mr M. E. Thomas (Chairman); Mr J. R. Powell (Vice-Chairman); Mr Edgar Hancock (Treasurer); Miss Eunice Warfield …

Six Bells Halt. There had been proposals put forth for the construction of a railway station at Six Bells, Abertillery for many years, as early as the mid to late 1890’s when a group of gentlemen, residents of Six Bells, as follows – Mr Samuel Mills, Mr Henry Lewis, Mr James Jones, Mr George Cook, Mr Joseph Horler, Mr Isaac …