Gellionnen Unitarian Chapel

Gellionnen Unitarian Chapel is a small house of worship with whitewashed walls and a slate roof, positioned on Mynydd Gellionen mountain in Swansea. The building features two prominent arched windows and maintains its original interior elements, including a curved plaster ceiling and an old pulpit.

The building was constructed in 1692 after a religious community was established there in 1662, with land provided by Bussy Mansell. Between 1801 and 1802, the chapel underwent reconstruction and was refounded as a center for Unitarian worship.

The chapel served as a gathering place for Unitarians seeking to worship according to their beliefs, becoming central to the religious identity of those who attended. The community that gathered here shaped how the space was used and valued over generations.

The chapel is reached by walking up the mountain and offers views of the surrounding landscape from its location. Sunday services provide an opportunity to see the interior in use, though visitors can also view the exterior during other times.

A minister associated with the chapel experimented with cow-pox vaccination against smallpox decades before this approach gained scientific documentation and wider recognition. This medical pioneering effort remained largely unknown in the broader historical record.

Location: Swansea

Location: Mawr

Elevation above the sea: 212.7 m

Website: http://ukunitarians.org.uk/gellionnenandgraig

GPS coordinates: 51.72100,-3.88238

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:02