Cardiff chapel that was hidden inside Howells store seen for first time in decades

An historic chapel has been seen for the first time in decades from the streets of Cardiff after construction work removed a wall from the old Howells store that hid it for years.

The Bethany Particular Baptist Chapel was built in 1807 - years before the Howells department store came to the city.

However when the department store that later traded as House of Fraser was built, it engulfed the chapel's arched doorways and impressive facade.

The Bethany Chapel itself was rebuilt between 1821 and 1827, extended in 1840 and rebuilt in 1865.

In the 1960s, the congregation moved to the suburb of Rhiwbina in north Cardiff, with access to the building having become difficult due to the buildings around it.

An extension of Howells fully incorporated the church by 1969.

House of Fraser had sold things such as furniture, fixtures, and even clothing mannequins.

Based in the historic Howells building in Cardiff's St Mary Street, it served as one of Wales' biggest department stores for more than a century.

In the final days of the department store, the dome and original doors and windows of the chapel could still be seen inside the building.

Although parts of it have remained visible from above, the chapel could no longer be seen from street level.

Now, construction work on the building, which is being transformed into a multi-use development that could include bars, restaurants and even a hotel, has once again revealed the front of the chapel building.

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