Laser quest helps to record history of Welsh shul
FEATURES OF Wales’ oldest surviving synagogue have been recorded to millimetre accuracy through a partnership of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and the Foundation for Jewish Heritage.
The study of the Grade II-listed Merthyr Tydfil Synagogue is the first step in a long-term project led by the foundation to restore the site and create a Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre.
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to conduct a comprehensive laser scan of the building’s exterior and interior, providing 3D measurements of every part of its surface.
The data will be used to create plans and elevation drawings of the building, to be archived in the RCAHMW’s National Monuments Record of Wales.
There are also plans by the project partners to create a virtual reconstruction of the synagogue as it was before it closed in 1983. It was subsequently used as a Christian centre and gym, lying derelict for some years before being purchased by the foundation in 2019.
RCAHMW senior investigator Susan Fielding cited the synagogue, opened in 1877, as “one of the most historically and architecturally important faith buildings in Wales.
“After many years of the building being at risk, we are very pleased to be working with the Foundation for Jewish Heritage and Wessex Archaeology on this survey as an exciting step on the road to bringing the building back to life and telling the story of the rich heritage of Jewish communities in Wales.”
The style of the building exterior is Gothic and a distinguishing feature is the stone Welsh dragon perched on the gable of the entrance bay.