Calfaria Baptist Chapel: A Look Inside a Once Great Building

Sitting woefully at the end of Ann Street, at the foot of the ominous Bigyn Road sits a building that’s in a very sorry state. Calfaria Baptist Chapel, a Grade 2 listed building was established in 1888, alongside a Sunday school that had already been established 7 years prior.

It was designed by George Morgan, of Carmarthen. It continued to serve the town for many years, hosting weddings and other such events but was sadly disused by 2006.

It’s easy to identify the state of the building from the outside. Windows are boarded up, the garden is overgrown and the damaged roof is visible from the right angle. Though it may look like a bit of a fixer-upper from the outside, the inside of the church tells a much different story. The place is absolutely bathing in decay, with the walls blackened and peeling, the remains of long-dead pigeons lining the floor.

What was once a proud and imposing organ that played tunes for the audience is now a smashed up and scattered wreck. Next to the building’s overall condition, this was the most sorrowful feature and a grim reminder of what neglect by both time and humans can do.

The floor is littered with glass and debris, making traversal through this already dangerous building even more difficult. 

The balcony area lends a different view of the chapel, allowing for a more somber outlook over the interior. From up top one is able to take in a greater extent of the damage, including the walls which have been stained with green, the smashed and boarded-up windows and rotted stairs.

The building has since been put up for sale, with future prospects including being converted into a residential area. Judging by the condition of the building’s interior, serious work would be needed to keep it secure and presentable. We hope that more care is taken to ensure the building’s maintenance and downright survival, lest it suffers the same, charred fate as the nearby Park Street Church, which caught fire and burnt down in 2015.

The West Wales Chronicle and its contributors do not condone or recommend access to derelict and abandoned buildings. There are numerous hazards, both physical and legal and we advise people to stay away. Any entry to such places is at one’s own risk.