History / Hanes

Beth mae'r ARGLWYDD yn ei fwriadu sy'n aros.

Mae ei gynlluniau e yn para ar hyd y cenedlaethau. Salm 33:11

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11

Hanes Adeilad Capel y Bont

Ym 1874, pledleisiwyd cynulleidfa Sardis (Capel Annibynnol Cymraeg) benderfyniad i ffurfio Eglwys Saesneg. Erbyn diwedd 1880, roedd yr eglwys newydd hon wedi'i sefydlu ac erbyn Awst 1881 roedd y capel a'r ysgoldy cyfun wedi'u hadeiladu a'r Heol Gelliwastad i'r gost o £863 – 19s. Ym 1887 cymerodd adeilad yr eglwys ei hun siâp a chafodd ei gysegru ar yr ail Sul ym mis Chwefror. Ym 1906, disodlwyd y capel a'r ysgoldy cyntaf gyda neuadd eglwys newydd. Wedi hynny, daeth yr adeiladau hyn yn safle i'r Eglwys Unedig ac yna i Eglwys Unedig Dewi Sant.

Ffurfiwyd yr Eglwys Unedig ym 1969 pan ymunodd yr Eglwys Gynulleidfaol Saesneg ac Eglwys Bedyddwyr Carmel (1810) i ddod yn un eglwys. Dymchwelwyd adeiladau Eglwys Bedyddwyr Carmel yn 1970 ac mae Plas Carmel, bloc o fflatiau llety gwarchod, bellach yn meddiannu'r safle.

Agorwyd Eglwys Unedig Dewi Sant ar 5 Ionawr 2002 pan ddaeth dwy eglwys, Eglwys Unedig Pontypridd (Eglwys y Bedyddwyr a'r Eglwys Ddiwygiedig Unedig) a Dewi Sant (Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru) at ei gilydd. Pleidleisiodd cynulleidfa Eglwys Unedig Dewi Sant i uno ag Eglwys Ddiwygiedig Unedig 'Castle Square' yn Nhrefforest yn 2024.

Cymerodd Henaduriaeth 'South East', o Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru, berchnogaeth lawn o adeilad Heol Gelliwastad yn 2025 a'i ailenwi'n 'Capel y Bont', gyda ffocws ar addoliad amlieithog a hygyrch i ADY ar gyfer y gymuned.

Hanes yr Eglwys Fethodistaidd Galfinaidd/Presbyteraidd ym Mhontypridd

Roedd gan hen Eglwys Fethodistaidd Gymreig Penuel, tua 100 llath o'n hadeilad ym Mhontypridd, hanes sy'n gysylltiedig â'r gymuned ddiwydiannol a'r mudiad anghydffurfiol a oedd yn tyfu yn yr ardal. Fe'i hadeiladwyd yn wreiddiol ym 1860. Nodwedd arwyddocaol o'r eglwys oedd y ffynnon ddŵr sy'n sefyll heddiw, fe'i datgelwyd ym 1895 ac fe'i cynlluniwyd i ddarparu dŵr yfed ffres i bobl oedd yn mynd heibio ac anifeiliaid. Mae'r arysgrifau cerfwedd ar ochrau isaf y powlenni sy'n ymwthio allan fel a ganlyn: DUW A DIGON / HEB DDUW HEB DDIM (Duw yw Popeth Heb Dduw Heb Ddim). Ym 1878, cydnabu Henaduriaeth Sir Forgannwg a Sir Fynwy yr angen i sefydlu achos Presbyteraidd Saesneg ym Mhontypridd. Cynhaliwyd cyfarfodydd gyntaf yn festri Eglwys Fethodistaidd Gymreig, Penuel. Ym mis Hydref 1879, ymgorfforwyd yr Eglwys Saesneg newydd. Codwyd neuadd eglwys Bresbyteraidd Dewi Sant ym 1880. Gosodwyd carreg sylfaen y capel ar 11/01/1883 a chynhaliwyd y gwasanaethau agoriadol yn yr adeilad gorffenedig ar 11/11/1883. Mae tarddiad yr adeilad, a ddyluniwyd gan Henry Cornelius Harris o Gaerdydd, ac a adeiladwyd yn yr arddull Gothig, yn ddyledus i yrfa nodedig John Pugh. Cynhaliodd Pugh gyfarfodydd awyr agored, a dechreuodd yr eglwys dyfu, gan arwain at adeiladu'r capel hyfryd hwn, gyda'i neuadd ynghlwm. Mae Dewi Sant bob amser wedi bod ar flaen y gad o ran cenhadaeth leol a gweithgareddau diwylliannol. Ar ddiwedd y 19eg Ganrif, dechreuasant a chynnal cenhadaeth yn y Gweithfeydd Cadwyn lleol. Trefnwyd llawer o wyliau cerddorol yn eglwys Dewi Sant a oedd ag eitemau cerddorfaol a chorawl. Trefnwyd digwyddiadau diwylliannol eraill megis darlith gan H.M. Stanley ar 'Affrica Dywyllaf', a draddododd ar ôl dychwelyd o'i gyfarfod enwog â Dr. Livingstone. Unodd cynulleidfa Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Dewi Sant ag Eglwys Unedig Dewi Sant yn 2002 i ffurfio Eglwys Unedig Pontypridd, a dewisasant gyfarfod yn ein hadeilad presennol. Mae hen adeilad Presbyteraidd Dewi Sant ar draws y ffordd bellach yn gartref i Eglwys bedyddwyr annibynol 'Temple'.

Capel y Bont Building History

In 1874, the congregation of Sardis (Welsh Independant Chapel) passed a resolution to form an English Congregational Church. By the end of 1880, this new church had been set up and by August 1881 the combined chapel and schoolroom had been built in Gelliwastad road at a cost of £863 – 19s. In 1887 the church building itself took shape and was consecrated on the second Sunday in February. In 1906, the first chapel and schoolroom were replaced with a new church hall. These buildings subsequently became the premises for United Church and then for St. David’s Uniting Church.

United Church was formed in 1969 when the English Congregational Church and Carmel Baptist Church (1810) joined together to become one church.

The buildings of Carmel Baptist Church were demolished in the 1970’s and Plas Carmel, a block of sheltered accommodation flats, now occupies the site.

St. David’s Uniting Church was inaugurated 5th January 2002 when two churches, Pontypridd United Church (Baptist and United Reformed Church) and St. David’s (Presbyterian Church of Wales) came together.

The St David’s Uniting Church congregation voted to merge with Castle Square United Reform Church in Trefforest in 2024.

The South East Wales Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Wales took over full ownership of the Gelliwastad Road building in 2025 and renamed it ‘Capel y Bont’, with a focus on multilingual and ALN accessible worship for the community.

Presbyterian/Calvanistic Methodist History in Pontypridd

The former Penuel Methodist Welsh Church, some 100 yards from our building in Pontypridd, had a history tied to the growing industrial community and nonconformist movement in the area. Originally built in 1860. A significant feature of the church was the drinking fountain which stands today, it was unveiled in 1895 and was designed to provide fresh drinking water to passers-by and animals. The relief inscriptions on the undersides of the projecting bowls read as follows: DUW A DIGON / HEB DDUW HEB DDIM (God is Everything Without God Without Anything).

In 1878, the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Presbytery recognised the need to set up an English language Presbyterian cause in Pontypridd. Meetings were first held in the vestry of the Welsh Methodist Church, Penuel. In October 1879, the new English Church was incorporated.

St. David’s Presbyterian church hall was erected in 1880. The foundation stone of the chapel was laid on 11/01/1883 and the opening services in the completed building were held on 11/11/1883. The building, designed by Henry Cornelius Harris of Cardiff, built in the Gothic style, owes its origins to the remarkable career of John Pugh. Pugh held open-air meetings, and the church began to grow, leading to the building of this lovely chapel, with its attached hall.

St. David’s has always been at the forefront of local mission and cultural activities. In the late 19th Century, they began and sustained a mission at the local Chain Works. Many musical festivals were organised in St. David’s church which had orchestral and choral items. Other cultural events were organised such as a lecture by H.M. Stanley on ‘Darkest Africa’, which he delivered after returning from his famous meeting with Dr. Livingstone.

The congregation of St David’s Presbyterian Church merged with St Davids Uniting in 2002 to form the Uniting Church of Pontypridd, and chose to meet in our current building.

The former St. David’s Presbyterian building across the road is now the home of Temple Baptist Church.