Capel Crannog, its vestry and house, sit halfway down the hill from the church to the beachfront, hidden up a drive many people pass without noticing it. It was built in 1888, and would have been a pivotal part of village life. No services have been held since 2001, and the Capel has declined. The Vestry is a lovely building, and the house has been renovated (by me and my father!).
The trustees of the site have struggled to achieve their initial aim, that of redeveloping the site for community use (it was given to the villagers after closure). It is, of course, a huge project whatever anyone would want to do with it.
But worth it. So along with loads of help from Cwmpas, the fledgling 4Llan and lots of keen local interest, the Welfare Committee went for some funding in order to create a feasibility study. I applied for and won the funding, and spent six months researching and asking the community what they want to see happen. I wrote a 20,000 word report where we outlined the possibility for affordable housing and a community space, along with a garden, parking and the house. This included surveyors’ reports, architectural drawings and funding ideas, as well as a careful look at the issues and problems the project has seen in the past.
The report was presented at the AGM of the Welfare Committee in 2024. There is still a lot of enthusiasm for the project, but it has stalled at the moment due to legal issues. We continue to hope that the site can once again become a vibrant part of village life – watch this space!