What We Do
Grade II* and Grade II
Conserving a remarkable surviving early Chapel and Chapel House
Carmel Baptist Chapel is said to date from around 1810 or 1818. The Chapel and Plas (Chapel House) are linked buildings of similar size which form a rare surviving duo: lime-washed, plastered walls and timber rail make up this quintessentially 19th-century interior. Due to its deteriorating condition, the Grade II*-listed Chapel has not been used as a place of worship for many years. Similarly, the Grade II-listed Chapel House, remodelled in 1915, was used as a residential dwelling up until the 1980s but has since been left vacant due to its poor condition.
Established in 2014, Capel Carmel is a charitable company - their main aim is to preserve Carmel Baptist Chapel for future generations and to assist in teaching a wide range of people about its history. It is, therefore, working to conserve the Chapel as an educational facility for locals and visitors. The group also intend to restore the Chapel House to provide long-term, affordable accommodation as a two-bedroom family home.
The isolated rural village of Capel Carmel sits on the south-western tip of the Llŷn peninsula and is ranked in the top 1% most deprived areas for access to services and top 3% most deprived for housing. Not only will the project to restore Carmel Baptist Chapel address an acute lack of housing and facilities for the local community, but it will also create volunteering opportunities.
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) first supported Capel Carmel in 2018, awarding them with a Project Development Grant towards the cost of hiring a project coordinator and a consultant to refine their business plan. Following this, in 2021, the AHF provided Capel Carmel with a Capital Works Grant to help with the restoration and adaptation of the two buildings.
AHF Funding
Project Development Grant - £6,767 (2018)
Capital Works Grant - £45,000 (2021)
These grants were made possible with funding from the Pilgrim Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation and Cadw.
External Funding
Adra - Community Investment Fund - £1,000
AONB Sustainable Development Fund – £10,000
Cadw - £50,000
National Lottery Heritage Fund - £53,822
