A small chapel celebrated a milestone birthday in a special way.

Tucked away in a country lane off Nant y Flint, between Bagillt and Halkyn Mountain, is the 150-year-old Bethel Chapel.

To commemorate its history, Bethel Chapel’s sole elder of 30 years, Menna Coleclough from The Nant, researched the origins of the small place of worship.

Menna said: “It was very interesting researching the history of the chapel.

“I discovered the Methodist movement began here in The Nant when locals set up a Sunday School in a local farm’s corn loft in the mid-19th century.

“The original chapel, which served worshippers for many years, was only a house so the people decided to build a new chapel.”

That was Bethel Chapel as we know it today, as in 1867 a new chapel was built, and the first service led by Rev William Pierce of Rhosesmor and William Evans JP, Liverpool.

Although the chapel served many from Bagillt, The Nant and Halkyn in earlier centuries, a faithful congregation of 10 still attend the weekly service, taken care of by the Presbyterian Ministers.

According to Menna, the chapel remains more or less exactly as it was when it was built more than a century ago.

She added: “The only improvement is that we now have electric.

“We still don’t have water, and all the doors, windows and brickwork are original.”

For the 150th birthday of this authentic building, a small “lovely evening” was held among current worshippers of Bethel Chapel and those from decades gone by.

Menna said: “The locals were very interested in the history and the celebrations.

“It was a lovely evening for everyone to stand and talk with tea and light refreshments.

“It was only a small gathering, but we all felt comfortable.

“With such a small, delicate church, 60 or 70 attendees would have been choc a bloc.”

The event was well attended, according to Menna, and the singing festival held earlier in the summer to celebrate the chapel’s milestone was “special.”