CAPEL MWYAF UNIG CYMRU
NAWR YN CAEL SYLW
YNG NGHANOL
LLUNDAIN

Mae’n icon Cymreig a
wnaeth greu argraff ar gyn–Arlywydd
UDA

 Mae capel Soar-y-Mynydd ger Tregaron  yn
cael ei ddisgrifio yn aml  fel yr addoldy mwyaf diarffordd yng Nghymru ond nawr mae’n cael sylw  arbennig yng nghanol hwrli bwrli canol Llundain. 

Mae’r  darlun olew o gapel gwyngalchog Soar-y-Mynydd o waith Wynne Melville Jones (Wyn Mel i lawer) yn cael ei arddangos yng Nghanolfan Cymry Llundain yn Gray’s Inn Road Llundain tan ddiwedd Ioawr 2013 a bydd yn gyfrwng i atgoffa Cymry Llundain o’u treftadaeth diwylliannol ac anghydffurfiol. Dyma’r cyntaf o gyfres o 12 darlun o waith yr artist fydd yn cael eu harddangos yn Llundain yn ystod
2013.


Saif capel Soar-y-Mynydd, yn unigeddau’r Elenydd rhyw ddeng milltir o Dregaron.   Mae’r adeilad a godwyd tua 1820 yn cynnwys capel, gyda lle i eistedd tua 100 o bobol, tŷ capel a ddefnyddiwyd
fel yr  ysgol leol  hyd y 1940au, stablau a mynwent.


Brodor o Dregaron yw Wynne Melville Jones ac mae’n adnabod y capel bach yn dda iawn ac yn cofio’n glir fel roedd ei dad, a oedd yn weinidog Presbyteraidd lleol yn Nhregaron,  yn mynd yno’n gyson i bregethu 

“Y  ffordd hwylusaf o gyrraedd y capel yn
ystod y cyfnod hwnnw oedd ar gefn poni ac roedd yn olygfa gofiadwy i weld y teuluoedd o rhyw ddwsin neu fwy o’r ffermydd defaid cyfagos yn  ymgasglu yng nghapel Soar, yr unig adeilad ar gyfer defnydd y gymuned am filltiroedd lawer.

Erbyn hyn mae “Cymdeithas Pobol y Mynydd” wedi peidio a bod yn sgil diboblogi a newid mawr mewn dulliau ffermio a defnydd tir.


“Yn sgil adeiladu Llyn Brianne i gyflenwi dŵr i ddinas Abertawe, yn y 1960au adeiladwyd ffordd darmac newydd a daeth yn haws teithio i’r llecyn a rhoi bywyd newydd i’r achos. Datblygodd y capel yn atyniad i addolwyr o bob rhan o Gymru, a thu hwnt,
 i fynychu’r oedfaon ar y Suliau yn ystod tymor yr haf”, medd Wynne.


Mae i Soar-y-Mynydd ei rin a’i ramant ei hun ac mae’n denu ymwelwyr o bob rhan o’r byd. Bu cyn-arlywydd UDA Jimmy Carter ar ymweliad yno ar 23 Mai 1986 a dywedodd wedi cyrraedd y capel  nad oedd erioed wedi gweld dim byd tebyg yn unman.


Daeth yr ardal i sylw’r byd yn Ionawr 1983 pan ddarganfuwyd Ysgrifennydd Capel Soar-y-Mynydd John Hughes Williams, ffermwr pobolgaidd lleol,  yn
farw yn ei gartref Brynambor lle roedd yn byw ar ben ei hun. Wedi i gymdogion dorri i mewn i’r tŷ darganfuwyd ei gorff gyda chymorth golau leityr sigarets am nad oedd yna drydan yn Brynambor. Yn ddiweddarach dedfrydwyd dyn di-waith a
di-gartref 35 oed, Anthony Gambrell o’i lofruddio.


Mae Wynne Melville Jones, yn gyn-fyfyriwr celf ac wedi bwlch o ddeugain mlynedd mae wedi ail-gydio
yn ei brif ddiddordeb –celf gan sefydlu ei oriel ei hun ar lein www.orielwynmel.co.uk   Mae’n enw cyfarwydd ym mydcysylltiadau cyhoeddus a bu’n Bennaeth Cysylltiadau Cyhoeddus yr Urdd cyn rhoi
cychwyn ar rhedeg ei fusnes ei hun StrataMatrix  a
gwneud hynny am 30 mlynedd. Ef yw tad Mistar Urdd ac yn ddiweddar fe arweiniodd ar ddatblygu Llwybr Llên Llanfihangel Genau’r Glyn mewn coedlan wrth ymyl ei gartref, sy’n ddathliad parhaol o draddodiad barddol y fro  bu  Archdderwydd Cymru, Jim Parc Nest yn agor y Llwybr yn swyddogol ym mis Mai eleni.

Ac yntau wedi dychwelyd at y brwsh paent ymwelodd cannoedd o bobol ag arddangosfeydd o’i
waith yn Aberystwyth ym Mai a’r Bala ym mis Medi. 
Nawr,  mae wedi ymrwymo i ddangos llun y mis o’i waith yng Nghanolfan boblogaidd Cymry Llundain yn Gray’s Inn  Road.

  “Mae hyn yn gyfle mawr ac yn sialens fwy byth i mi ond rwyn gobeithio y bydd naws Cymreig fy lluniau o ddiddordeb i’r Cymry alltud yn Llundain

 “ Mae dechrau’r gyfres gyda llun o Soar-y-Mynydd yn briodol yn fy meddwl i o gofio am y cannoedd o bobol o ardal Tregaron a ymfudodd i Lundain yn ystod hanner cyntaf y ganrif ddiwethaf er mwyn dianc o dlodi cefngwlad. Fe aeth y  rhan fwyaf ohonynt  i werthu llaeth a rhedeg siopau cornel stryd. 

“Llwyddodd y rhan fwyaf o’r Cardis i adeiladuusnesau llwyddiannus iawn a daeth amryw ohonynt yn adnabyddus yng nghylchoedd Llundeinig
a thu hwnt megis Syr David James, Pantyfedwen a Evan Evans Gwesty’r Celtic drwy ddringo ‘r ysgol a dod yn amlwg ym myd masnach, diwyllianr a bywyd cyhoeddus y Metropolis.

“Rwyn siwr bod disgynyddion llawr o’r Cymry alltud hyn yn aelodau o Glwb Cymry Llundain heddiw
Gobeithio y bydda nhw yn mwynhau y lluniau “ medd
Wynne


Dywedodd Rhian Jones, Prifweithredwr Canolfan Cymry Llundain:
 “Rydym wrth ein bodd yn dangos lluniau Wynne yng Nghanolfan Cymry Llundain. Mae hyn yn rhan o’n cynllun ‘Platfform’ sy’n cynnig llwyfan i’r diwydiannau creadigol Cymreig yng nghanol Llundain. Fel Cardi fy hun, mae’r darlun o Soar-y-Mynydd yn arbennig o arwyddocaol ac rwyn siwr y bydd ein cwsmeriaid arferol yn ogystal a phobl eraill yn gwerthfawrogi arwyddocad a gwerth diwylliannol a hanesyddol darluniau Wynne.”

 Bydd y darlun o Soar-y-Mynydd yn cael ei arddangos yn y Ganolfan
hyd 31 Ionawr 2013 ac wedyn dangosir darlun o waith yr artist bob mis hyd ddiwedd
Rhagfyr 2013 – cyfanswm o 12
darlun.
Mae printiadau (nifer cyfyngedig) o Soar-y-Mynydd hefyd ar gael. 
 


“TARO’R POST I’R PARED GLYWED”
Ar ddechrau’r 1960au bu twristiaid yn gwersylla yn ymyl Soar-y-Mynydd pan ddaeth storm enbyd o law ac  fe symudodd yr ymwelwyr  i aros yn adeilad y
capel. 

Wedi treulio rhai dyddiau yno aros yno fe adawyd y capel mewn cyflwr annerbyniol gyda
sbwriel a baw dros y lle ac roedd nifer o ffyddloniaid yr achos wedi eu synnu a’u siomi gan agwedd ddi-hud yr ymwelwyr a’u diffyg parch tuag at yr addoldy.
 “Roeddwn i yn fy arddegau cynnar a gofynnodd fy nhad i mi lythrennu dau boster dwyieithog
yn cynnwys yr  adnodau:
 “Gwylia ar dy draed pan fyddech yn myned i Dŷ Dduw”    Ecc 5
 a
 “Nid oes yma onid Tŷ i Dduw”   Gen 28

 “Gosodwyd y ddau boster ar wal Capel Soar-y-Mynydd a’u gadael yno am yn agos i hanner can
mlynedd. Rhai blynyddoedd yn ôl cefais cais gan yr aelodau ar i mi adnewyddu y posteri am fod y rhai gwreiddiol wedi melynu a’r papur wedi braenu. O ganlyniad fe gyflwynwydy posteri gwreiddiol yn ôl  i mi a bellach mae nhw ymysg fy nhrysorau personol ac rwyn falch iawn ohonyn nw

 “Roedd yn syndod pleserus nad oedd unrhyw arlliw o ddifrod na graffiti ar y posteri gwreiddiol a hynny ar ôl cyfnod o 50 mlynedd.
“Son am
‘Taro’r post i’r pared glywed’
 
“Mae’n ymddangos bod y posteri wedi gwneud eu gwaith”, medd Wynne.
 *  

 ISOLATED WELSH CHAPEL
NOW FEATURED IN CENTRAL LONDON

 A Welsh icon once visited by former US President

Soar-y-Mynydd , the little Mid-Wales chapel often described as the most isolated place of worship in Wales  in Wales,  has found pride of place in the hustle and bustle of central London. 

An oil painting of Soar-y-Mynydd by Ceredigion based artist Wynne Melville Jones (Wyn Mel to many people), depicting the whitewashed and eye-catching chapel, is now on display at the London Welsh Centre, Gray’s Inn Road in central London until
the end of January 2013. It is the first of twelve paintings by the artist to go on display at the Centre during 2013 and will remind Welsh people in London of their nonconformist and cultural heritage.

The small Welsh Presbyterian chapel, lies 10 miles from Tregaron hiding in a tranquil valley deep in Elenydd in the Cambrian Mountains. The two storey building built in the 1820’s houses a Chapel seating over a 100 people and a chapel house which was used until the 1940’s as the local school and there are also stables and  a graveyard.

 WynneMelville Jones himself a native of Tregaron, knows the chapel well and recallshow his father, the local Presbyterian minister used to regularly preach at Soar

 “The easiest way one to reach Soar in those days was on horseback and it was amemorable sight to see the families from the hill farming community of a dozenor so farms congregate at the chapel, the only community building for miles
 .
“This“Mountain Community” has now ceased to exist as a result of depopulation and considerable changes in farming and land use.

“A  new tarmac road built in the 1960’s, during the construction of the Swansea reservoir Llyn Brianne,  has since provided easier access and the chapel has experienced a new lease of life and attracts worshipers from all parts of Wales and beyond to services every Sunday during the Summer months”,said Wynne.
Soar-y-Mynydd has a unique charm and attracts other tourists from all parts of the world.  

Former USPresident Jimmy Carter visited the chapel on 20 May 1986 and said that he hadnever seen anything like it in his life and described the area as ‘The Green Desert’.

 In January 1983 the hill farming community hit the headlines when the Chapel Secretary of Soar-y-Mynydd John Hughes Williams, a popular local farmer, was found murdered at his home at Brynambor where he lived alone. Neighbours who
broke in to the secluded farmhouse discovered his dead body with the help of the light of a cigarette lighter as there was no electricity at Brynambor.  An 35 year old unemployed labourer Anthony Gambrell was later charged with the murder of John Brynambor.

 Wynne Melville Jones, a former art student, has now returned to his main interest after a gap of 40
years setting up his on-line gallery www.orielwynmel.co.uk   

A familiar name in the world of public relations in Wales he worked as Head of PR for the Urdd youth organisation before setting up in 1979 a leading PR and public affairs  firm StrataMatrix which he managed for a period of 30 years. He created the ever popular Urdd mascot Mr Urdd in 1978 and has recently led on the development of a poetry path in his woodland in Llandre which was officially opened by the Archdruid of Wales  Jim Parc Nest earlier this year.

Now, having returned to the paintbrush, hundreds of people attended his one-man exhibitions of his work in Aberystwyth in May and Bala in September. In his
latest assignment he is committed to providing a painting a month to be displayed at the popular London Welsh Centre in Gray’s Inn Road throughout
2013.
 “Its a big opportunity and a huge challenge for me but I hope the strong Welsh mood of my work will be of interest to my fellow Welsh people in the big city.

 “I like to think it appropriate to start the series with a painting of Soar-y-Mynydd near Tregaron because of the long history of people from the area who were encouraged to move to London during the first half of the last century mainly to run milk rounds and corner shops. Hundreds of young people from Ceredigion left area in order to escape from the poverty of rural Wales
.


“ Most of these Cardis built up very successful businesses and a some climbed to high places in London society such as Sir David James, Pantyfedwen and Evan Evans,Celtic Hotel, both were well known leaders in the world of commerce and culture in the Metropolis and renowned in 
the social and civic ladder in the public life of London. They were also well known figures in Welsh life.


“ The London Welsh Centre is a focal point for Welsh life in London and I am sure that a number of the descendants of the many Ceredigion people who relocated to London in the last century are current members at the Centre.


“I just hope they will enjoy the paintings”, said
Wynne.


Rhian Jones, CEO, London Welsh Centre said
“We are delighted to play host to Wynne’s work at the London Welsh Centre. This is part of our ‘Platfform’ scheme which offers opportunities for Welsh creative industries to showcase their work in our wonderful Central London location. As a Cardi myself, the painting of Soar-y-Mynydd bears particular significance and I am sure that our regular customers, as well as visitors, will be impressed by the cultural and historical importance of Wynne’s paintings” 
 
The painting of Soar-y-Mynydd will be on display at the London
Welsh Centre until 31 January and then replaced monthly with new paintings by
the artist until the end of December 2013 – a total of 12
paintings.


Limited edition prints of the Soar-y-Mynydd painting are
available


 A CAMPING STORY
 A group of  tourists camping near the
little chapel at Soar-y Mynydd in the early 1960’s were caught in a heavy rain storm and decided to make-camp in the chapel building. Having stayed there for some time they left behind a considerable amount of rubbish leaving the place in disrepute and showing little respect towards the building as a place of worship.

 “In thesixities I was in my teens and my father, who was the local PresbyterianMinister asked me to design two simple bilingual posters to display inside Soarwith the words of two verses from the Bible:
 “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God ..” Ecc 5
 and
 “This is no other than the house of God ...” Gen 28

 “These two posters were pinned to the wall at Soar y Mynydd and remained there for
almost fifty years. A few years ago with both panels showing signs of ageing and fraying, members of the chapel approached me and asked for a new refreshed version. As a result they returned the original versions to me and I considerthese to be among my most treasured
possessions


“I waspleasantly surprised to see the original posters were untouched with no sign of
  graffiti and both had been respected for almost half a century”

“Seems that the posters got the message across”, said Wynne


(