A chapel that has been serving a Pembrokeshire Community for more than 200 years will hold its last service this month.

The congregation at Tabernacle Chapel on Fishguard’s Park Street will gather for a final service this Sunday, September 22. This will be followed by a closing service at 2pm the following Sunday.

Tabernacle Chapel was built in 1845 to replace an existing chapel on The Wallis, which dated back to at least 1798, and accommodate an increasing congregation.

According to Hanes Abergwaun, the Grade 2 listed building, as well as the adjoining caretaker’s house and graveyard to the rear, was built at a cost of £800.

Many of the stones from the original chapel at the top of the Wallis were carried down the steep hill to the new site by members of the congregation.

The new chapel, Tabernacle was opened on May 7, 1845. The exterior of the chapel is much the same as it was when it was originally built and the interior was refurbished and completed in 1924.

The building is Grade 2 listed for its distinctive richly ornamented interior.

Although originally built to accommodate a growing congregation, the chapel is closing due to dwindling numbers and an aging congregation.

“We have an aging membership and dropping numbers,” said chapel secretary Berian Williams.

“There is nobody under the age of 60 and the majority of those attending are between 70 and 90.”

He added that quite a few of the present congregation had attended since childhood, and had been members of the chapel’s Sunday school.

“There hasn’t been a Sunday school there for years and years,” he said. “Without a Sunday School there is no future.”

Mr Williams added that, although the chapel worships together with members of Hermon every other week and members of the previously closed Pen Tower chapel now attended Tabernacle, the congregation on a Sunday was often only about 20 people.

“It is the same story everywhere,” he said. “Chapels seem to be closing across Wales every month.

“Everybody feels sad about it but also they feel it’s inevitable. Because of the dwindling congregation, it’s unviable.”

It is understood that after the chapel closes, the building will go on the market as soon as possible.