For anyone interested in early modern gentry religion, @cadwwales have a new virtual tour of the beautiful Rhug Chapel, Denbighshire, at https://cadw.gov.wales/virtual-visits-rug-chapel . Here’s a #WelshHistory thread (with photos!) about its foundation: 1/10

The Chapel of the Holy Trinity was built by William Salesbury of Rhug and Bachymbyd in 1637. At the age of nearly 57, William had recently paid off a large mortgage and had some financial stability for the first time in his life 2/

Unfortunately, around this time, he also had a huge argument with his eldest son, Owen, who married without William’s consent and lied to William about his new wife’s dowry. William swore that Owen wouldn’t have any land from him while he lived. 3/

In 1641, friends and family finally persuaded William to let Owen buy the Rhug estate, which included William’s new chapel. William ensured the chapel’s future by endowing it with money to fund a chaplain who could give services in Welsh. 4/

The interior of William’s chapel, although restored, survives remarkably well and it’s a fine example of 17th-century High Church Anglicanism. William was a devout Protestant, but he firmly rejected Puritanism and loyally supported the king in the Civil War. 5/

The quotations on the chapel walls are almost all in Welsh and they focus on the brevity of human life on earth. They include a line from the local Catholic martyr, Richard Gwyn (c.1537-1584). 6/

Don’t be misled though - the Salesburys became a Protestant family soon after the Reformation. 7/

My favourite part of the chapel is the beautiful 17th-century animal carvings on the base of the benches. But keep an eye out for the colourfully painted, canopied pews on either side of the altar where the Salesburys probably sat. 8/

I also love the wooden chandelier, visible at the top of this photo. And it’s worth going up to the gallery to see the gorgeous ceiling decoration up close. 9/

Largely unchanged since the C17th, Rhug Chapel stands as a testament to William’s religious devotion. Now in the care of Cadw, it’s normally open to visitors in the summer and still used once a year for a local carol service by William’s ancestral home @Rhug_Estate /END