Morriston Tabernacle: the Tabernacle chapel building is a very special building. George Thomas described the Tabernacle as the non-conformists’ cathedral. Besides being a beautiful chapel, Morriston Tabernacle is a religious and cultural centre in the lower Swansea valley. However, unfortunately, fewer people go to chapel these days. This raises serious questions about the future of the Tabernacle. There has to be a sufficient number of people to fund-raise in order to be eligible for a Cadw grant.

The Tabernacle was described as the largest, the grandest, and the most expensive chapel in Wales by Anthony Jones in his book ‘Welsh Chapels’. Yes, it is a special chapel: an iconic, Grade I listed chapel. The minister, Emlyn Jones, the architect, John Humphrey, and the builder, William Edwards, toured Britain to view the best chapels. The front of the Tabernacle building has eight huge pillars. Inside, there is an exhibition of the work of carpenters in mahogany, with a beautiful choral gallery and a wonderful organ. Following the 1904 revival, Tabernacle’s membership grew to over 1,500. Today, fewer than 100 people attend the chapel. I wonder what the future holds for the Tabernacle.