“The Biggest Crisis Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries”: Nearly 200 Welsh Chapels and Churches Have Closed Since 2015

• About a quarter of Wales’ historic chapels and churches have closed in the past decade
• Nearly 200 places of worship have shut since 2015, with 300 more closures predicted
• The National Churches Trust’s Cherish project supported 18 Welsh buildings in 2024
• Grants included £30,000 to help a chapel in Aberdare reopen

Wales is losing its chapels and churches at an unprecedented rate, the National Churches Trust reported in December 2025. About a quarter of the country’s historic chapels and churches have closed in the past decade, with nearly 200 shutting since 2015 and 300 more closures predicted over the next ten years.

Wales has about 3,500 Christian places of worship. Chris Catling, chief executive of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, described the situation as “the biggest crisis since the Dissolution of the Monasteries” in terms of potential architectural and artistic loss.

To help, the National Churches Trust launched its three-year Cherish project in 2023 with £1.9 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, covering Wales, Scotland and North West England. In 2024 it supported 18 Welsh churches and chapels. Jerusalem Independent Chapel in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, received £10,000 for rendering and arch repairs, and Bryn Sion Baptist Fellowship Chapel in Aberdare received £30,000 to help it reopen after a structural closure.

“Buildings need people, whether of faith or not, to thrive,” said Gareth Simpson, the trust’s Welsh-speaking Cherish support officer.

Wales shows how fast a nation’s chapel heritage can disappear once congregations age, and how targeted grants can keep some buildings open. Jamaica’s historic churches face similar threats from ageing congregations, hurricanes and repair bills. Small, well-targeted grants for roofs and structural repairs, combined with opening buildings to wider community use, can keep more of them standing.

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