PENTRE GȂT OR CAPEL FFYNNON?
Pentre Gât is located at a Junction on the A487 between Plwmp and Brynhoffnant. For many people it is simply a place to drive past on their way to Cardigan or Aberaeron. However, this place has a lively and colourful past, mainly due to the two landmarks central to the village’s development.
Capel Ffynnon Chapel, closed in 1982, nowadays partially concealed, is to be found on the square itself. The origins of worshipping in this vicinity goes back a long while, because Daniel Rowland, Llangeitho preached at Y Gwndwn many times. The custom in those days was to move around and establish meeting houses at members’ homes, as well as worshipping at other chapels in the area. Some of those chapels who agreed to house them were Gwndwn Chapel and Pensarn Chapel.
By 1849 the membership had come to the conclusion that they needed their own place of worship, but obtaining a piece of land would be no easy task. Finally, an appropriate site was found on a 99 year lease for the yearly sum of £1. One condition insisted upon was that it be built in the Gothic style. It wasn’t architecturally a great success and certain sections of the building had to be revised and rebuilt. To accompany the chapel, a chapel house and a coach house with extensive stables were built, due to the central location of the village.
The other main landmark is the site of the former tollbooth near the car park. During the Rebecca Riots in the 1840’s every tollbooth in West Wales was under threat and this one was no exception.