Barry councillor Ian Johnson is calling on churches and chapels across the town to share up‑to‑date information with a national project documenting Wales’s Nonconformist heritage.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is updating its records on more than 6,000 chapel sites as part of its National Lottery‑supported Capeli Cymru project. The work aims to identify which chapels remain active, which have been repurposed, and which have been lost.
Cllr Johnson, who represents the Buttrills ward on both Vale of Glamorgan Council and Barry Town Council, recently met project staff at the National Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire, where he was able to share details about Barry’s historic places of worship. He is now urging local congregations to contribute further information.
“Barry’s Christian heritage is rich and varied, with chapels in both Welsh and English serving different Baptist and Methodist traditions,” he said. “I’ve been able to explain which buildings are still used for worship, which have changed purpose, and which have sadly been demolished. But the project needs more detail from the chapels themselves."
“They want to hear from congregations in Barry who can update them on their current status and help ensure that the histories and records of these chapels are preserved for future generations.”
Cllr Johnson recently led a Welsh‑language tour of Barry’s Sacred Streets (Strydoedd Sanctaidd Y Barri) with the Victorian Barry Experience, highlighting the town’s religious past.
More information on the Capeli Cymru project is available at: http://rcahmw.gov.uk/projects/capeli-cymru

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