Capel Salem is a Grade II listed former chapel in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Wales. It was originally built in 1862 for the Presbyterian Church of Wales, to the designs of the architect Thomas Thomas of Landore. [1] In 1893 it was remodelled and enlarged. A fire was started in 1913 by a local person who tried to steal money from the chapel; when he found none, he set fire to the building. It was then closed until 1915 after restoration. [2]
In September 2022, the chapel and its adjoining Sunday school annex, which had been on the market for twelve years, were purchased by the potter Keith Brymer Jones and his wife, Marj Hogarth. Brymer Jones said that they planned to convert the property into a studio and living quarters and eventually open it to the community. [3] A four-part show depicting the initial phase of the renovation, Our Welsh Chapel Dream, aired on Channel 4. [4] The episodes reveal the challenges faced by Brymer Jones and Hogarth, including dry rot, fungus growth, decades of pigeon excrement, and the absence of water and electricity, as well as the reactions of people of Pwllheli to the repurposing of the building complex. A second four-episode series, which depicts how Brymer Jones and Hogarth converted the downstairs area of the Sunday school into a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and snug, was released in April 2025. A third series has been commissioned. [5]
