Morlan stands on the site of an old chapel called Seilo which included the chapel itself, a schoolhouse and manse (Beth-seilun). It is the realisation of a vision by members of Capel y Morfa, and reflects their desire to establish a purpose-built centre that would reach out to, and serve, the community.
Capel y Morfa itself came into being in 1989 when the congregations of Seilo and Salem chapels united, with Sunday services taking place in Salem Chapel (Portland Street).
By 1995, Seilo Chapel had been demolished but the schoolhouse and manse remained and was still used by Capel y Morfa despite its deteriorating condition. The desire to establish a purpose-built centre also remained – a centre that would act as a bridge between the church and the communities of Aberystwyth and beyond, focussing specifically on the relationship between faith and culture in its broadest sense.
It took around ten years of hard work and perserverance to ensure the required funds and planning permissions, but Morlan finally opened in April 2005.
The schoolhouse had been renovated and joined to Beth-seilun to create the modern, multi-purpose centre that we see today. The schoolhouse is now Morlan’s large, multi-purpose hall with facilities for musical and theatrical performances and a Green Room which also serves as a committee room. A second committee room (the Quiet Room), office, toilets and Coffee Bar are located in what was the ground floor of Beth-seilun, and part of the extension that joins the two buildings has been developed as an art gallery.
Morlan remains a core part of the mission and testimony of Capel y Morfa (which is part of the Presbyterian Church of Wales).
More about the Centre can be read in the documents below: