ABOUT US

about us

Knighton is a small market town in mid-Wales, right on the border with England. Its Welsh name, Tref-y-clawdd, means ‘town on the dyke’, the dyke in question being the boundary ditch and embankment built by King Offa in the 8th century and that still runs from Chepstow in the south to Prestatyn in the north. Knighton is the mid-point on the Offa’s Dyke National Trail and is home to the Offa’s Dyke Centre.

The town attracts many visitors, especially walkers.

We are a group of ordinary people from various walks of life, who love the Lord Jesus Christ and who try to follow him as he guides us by his Spirit. We aim to serve him, learn from him and spread the good news about him here in Knighton and the surrounding district.

There has been a Baptist church in Knighton since 1833.

Today, Knighton Baptist Church is formed of three congregations meeting in the villages of Knucklas and Coxall, and in Knighton itself.

about us

Our beginnings

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KNIGHTON (Norton Street)

In 1833 an unnamed woman who kept a school in Knighton opened her cottage so that Baptist believers might meet there for worship. Her home, which has since been demolished, was at the back of the Knighton Hotel, then known as New Inn. Services were led by Rev James Jones of Rock Baptist Chapel, Jacob Price, and Thomas Harvard, who later became Pastor of Maesyrhelem Chapel.

After two years a meeting was held in the old Town Hall, where the town clock now stands. Shortly after this W S Mayo, who was a prominent Radnorshire Baptist, held meetings in his home. Meetings were held subsequently in various other places but the hyper-Calvinist views of Mr. Mayo divided the congregation.

William Davies, who had helped begin the work at Gravel, then made his home available for services. In 1858 Rev T L Davies of Presteigne came over to Knighton to preach and baptize several people in the River Teme. He formed the Knighton Baptist Church at in 1860. The church was served by visiting preachers including Thomas Jones of Bettws-y-Crwyn, the son of James Jones of Rock. A chapel was built in Norton Street and this was opened on 29 September 1865.

In October 1873 two evangelists came to Knighton from Bristol to conduct evangelistic services in the different chapels in the town. As a result twenty-three people were baptised by Rev James Williams of Evenjobb. Rev James Gray of Coxall took part in the service and afterwards he became the pastor of the church.Between 1865 and 1878 the church had five pastors, but in that year stability to the young church was provided by the forty-one year pastorate of William Williams, who remained in office until 1919. Just before being call as pastor of Knighton he founded a branch church at Knucklas. During his pastorate a site for a new chapel was acquired in the lower part of the town near Station Road. It was probably the unwillingness or inability of the church members to build a new chapel that led to the formation of another Baptist church in Victoria Road.

KNIGHTON (Victoria Road)

The Baptist Church in Victoria Road was built in 1904 following a disagreement at Norton Street Church. A number of Baptist believers met together and by 1908 there was a total membership at the Church of 78 adults with 100 children attending the Sunday school. The first minister, Rev Thomas Rhys Broad, was appointed in 1915. However, the church did not last and the church was closed and the building was sold to the Council for use as a Community Centre. In 1986 the Methodist Church at Knighton was in need of a replacement building and they acquired the building from the Council and it is now Knighton Methodist Church.

about us