The family of a Carmarthenshire soldier killed in action during the Second World War have spoken of their deep distress after a local chapel was put up for public auction with its historic war memorials still fixed inside.
The Synod Methodist Church in Wales has placed the redundant chapel in Cynwyl Elfed on the market with a guide price of £29,000. However, church officials are facing fierce criticism for failing to remove the marble plaques that commemorate local men who died in the global conflicts of the 20th century before proceeding with the sale.
The dispute highlights growing anxieties among rural communities over the fate of historical artifacts as independent chapels face closure. Relatives fear that once the building passes into private hands, public access to the memorials will be lost forever.
Olwen Simpson, 94, who now resides at Glyn Nest Residential Home in Newcastle Emlyn, is the sister of Private Clifford Lewis Evans, a Cynwyl Elfed soldier who died in action in France on 29 August 1944, aged 24.
Mrs Simpson, who supported the chapel for decades, said she felt profoundly let down by the denomination’s handling of the property sale.
‘I am terribly upset that the chapel did not remove the plaques before a sale,’ Mrs Evans said.
The chapel also houses memorials to brothers Tommy A. Owen and Eben J. Owen of Ty Mawr, who died weeks apart in France in 1918, alongside a plaque dedicated to a former minister, the Reverend John Price Wynne.
Demands for Safe Removal
Local resident Elizabeth Evans and other family members are now demanding that the church authorities guarantee the safe extraction of the marble pieces so they can be rehomed securely. The family wants the items presented to the community for permanent display in the village hall.
Elizabeth Evans, the niece of Clifford Evans, joined her mother in calling for immediate action from church leaders before the auction hammer falls.
‘It is hard to believe that the plaques have not been safely removed given their historical significance and the emotional link they have with the village and families who have been here since the early 1900s,’ Mrs Evans said. ‘My mother is rightfully disappointed. It shows a total lack of respect for the family who supported the chapel for so long.’
The Future of Rural Heritage
The situation in Cynwyl Elfed reflects a wider crisis across Carmarthenshire, where a declining number of worshippers has forced dozens of historic chapels to close down over the last decade.
The Synod Methodist Church in Wales was approached for comment regarding the timeline for removing the plaques, but a spokesperson has yet to clarify whether a rescue plan is legally binding for the next owner.
Local community representatives have also approached the Synod to try and have the plaques transferred to the community hall.
We have also written for comment to estate agents and auctioneers McHugh and co who we understand are the present owners.
