Monmouthshire Graveyard

[jennyrob]

Does anyone know the name of the church on top of a mountain that have  a large amount of children buried there I came across it years ago and cant remember were it was

 I remember  the graves vividly as it was so sad to see the ages of the children

I think there had been some epidemic

There was a rundown pub  next to it 
I thought it was up above Pontypool my friend thought it was Aberdare way I don't think it was Cefn Golau  Cholera Cemetery

Its driving me made Tried googling it

[Pinetree]

Could it have been Aberfan?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberfan_disaster

Pinetree

[jennyrob]

No not Aberfan It was in an isolated spot on top of a mountain Thanks for your reply

[arthurk]

It's not an area I know, but as it's only a small county I thought I'd spend a few minutes looking.

Starting point is the Ordnance Survey maps - with their contour lines and church symbols it's fairly easy to pick out a few possible candidates. These maps can be found as part of Bing Maps and on the Streetmap website.

There seem to be a few churches in elevated positions, but if you can remember anything about the church itself, that would obviously help in locating it. I concentrated on churches with towers, since they have a bigger symbol that is easy to spot, but I've no idea if that would apply to the one you're thinking of.

Anyway, two in particular seemed to stand out - the links are to pictures on the Geograph website (and check the thumbnails there for other views):

St Tudor's Church, Mynyddislwyn (W of Abercarn) - https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4009536

St Sannan's Church, Bedwellty (just NE of Bargoed) - https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3503485

[jennyrob]

So kind of you to look up some churches for me I didn't realise what beautiful remote churches there are in Wales I have put the ones you gave me on Google Maps and unfortunately I don't recognise either of them
I am managing to driving myself and now my friend crazy trying to figure it out
I will let you know if we eventually find it
In my mind there was rather a scruffy pub to the left of the church with the grave yard It was about 10 years ago we stumbled on it

[arthurk]

Knowing that there's a pub nearby helps, as they're marked on OS maps too - although there's a chance it might have closed and isn't shown any more.

Can you remember anything about the church itself? eg how big was it, and did it have a tower? Do you have any memory or thoughts as to whether it would have been a parish church or a non-conformist chapel? Also, are you saying that if you were on the roadside looking at the church, there'd be the graveyard to the left, and then the pub?

The "top of a mountain" is also a good clue. Can you remember if it was literally that, with the ground falling away in all directions, or was it more like a hillside with higher ground on one side?

Lastly, would it have been in the more built-up/industrial/mining area of the county? From the map it looks as though the eastern side is much more rural, so any impressions you have of the general surroundings would help to narrow the search.

Sorry for all the questions - in some ways this is similar to what we do on the Photo ID board, but there we start with a photo and try to work out where it was. Here we're doing it the other way round, which is an interesting variation.

[jennyrob]

Thanks so much for getting involved with my "Driving me round the bend" query
 I only hope I didn't dream it
 Cant remember much about the Church
It was the Grave Stones
 Upsetting that there were so many graves showing deaths of very young people My friend seemed to know there had been some sort of epidemic that had taken out so many children Spanish flu perhaps
It was a bleak area having few trees and very misty and cold on day
The pub to the left of the graveyard might well have closed unless its been renovated as it was very rundown but it was very isolated
My friend thinks it might have been in Abercarn /Newbridge Area

[arthurk]

Thanks for the update. I've had another look at Mynyddislwyn, and there is a pub next to it. (I expect you've seen it, though.)

A few others, concentrating on the area you mentioned:

New Bethel chapel - N of Mynyddislwyn and overlooking Pontllanfraith - https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3789083

St Illtyd - N of Llanhilleth, and there's a pub nearby - https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4093427

Cefn-y-crib chapel - E of Crumlin; old map shows a pub just down the road (can't find a photo)

I'm running out of ideas now - anyone else like to try?

[jennyrob]

Thanks again Just got in from work Will check them out later