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Holy Trinity Church
On the wall of some of the older homes in
Newcastle Emlyn may be seen a framed
picture of the Castle mound as viewed
from the south west. It is a sketch made by
Henry Gastineau a short time before 1830.
The sketch shows the Castletop mound
and the graceful windings of the Teify
around it, a cottage and a little ‘chapel’
standing quite near the outer defences of
the stronghold.  
This little Church was popularly known as ‘Capel Bch y Drindod’ and it is the ‘Capel’ for the simple
reason that it was a subsidiary of the mother church of Llawddog in Cenarth. Erected in 1780 ‘Capel
Bch y Drindod’ is in a sense the connecting link between mediaeval and modern church history in
this part of the old parish of Cenarth.  There is no need to indulge in conjectures about it’s origin.  
There are at least two important legal documents relating to the founding of it. From one of those we
learn that Richard Vaughan of Golden Grove had promised two tenantships towards endowments but
had died before the transaction was completed. His son however, John Vaughan signed an
instrument on October 27th 1781 by which he gave Tyddyn, Llwynygog in the occupation of Evan
Jenkins and Penrhiw in the occupation of Evan Thomas to the trustees of the ‘Capel’. These trustees
were Thomas Lewis and John Lewis of Gellidewyll, Thomas Lloyd of Cilgwyn, David Lewes of
Dolhaidd, William Saunders of Gelligatti Thomas Morris and Lewis Lewis of the town of Newcastle
Emlyn. The other document states that the ‘Capel Bch’ had been erected within the foundations of
the mediaeval chapel, which means that the ‘Capel Bch’ was smaller in size than the original chapel
that stood on the same site. Before proceeding further it would do well to mention here that the bell
which hung in the cotte of the ‘Capel’ the smaller of the two old bells in the present parish Church is
said to have been brought from Vicar Pritchard’s house in Llandovery.  If the tradition carries the
truth it is probably the bell in the cupola at Neuadd Newydd, the Vicar’s house and was presented
through the good offices of John Vaughan of Golden Grove.  The ‘Capel Bâch’ served the church
folk of Newcastle Emlyn from 1780 to 1842, 62 years.
Standing where it did it must have shared in the vicissitudes of the Castle. Whenever the Castle was
attacked the church would not have escaped damage. There was a curate in charge in 1744 and the
following years and in 1780 only the foundations of the mediaeval church were known. The ‘Capel
Bach’ first came into being in 1780 and the people who erected it were very careful to insist that it
was built by public subscription. The curious thing about this little church is that no evidence of any
kind could be discovered that it had ever been consecrated.
.  It may be of interest to learn that the first marriage in the little church was that of John Griffiths,
widower, a shoemaker, son of David Griffiths, labourer and Mary James, a widow, daughter of David
Lewis, labourer, all of the town of Newcastle Emlyn, officiating clergyman Rev John Price Jones,
“Little Chapel of the Trinity”
Interesting facts about the “Capel” by the Rev. Canon Gruffydd
Evans BA BD Vicar of Newcastle Emlyn 1913 -1930
MORE TRINITY CHURCH