The forgotten canalside cemetery in Risca

One thing a little more unexpected is an abandoned graveyard - but tucked away just over the canal bridge, known as Moriah Hill, near the Prince of Wales pub in Risca, is just that.

It is small and has a number of headstones - some are barely readable - around its back wall. But why is there a graveyard there?

In 1818, Moriah Chapel was built on the hillside after Thomas George, of Maes Mawr Farm, helped to secure the land on Pen-y-rhiw Hill, just above the canal.

The land was bought from Watkin Jones and the deed was signed on June 9 1818. Known as Moriah to locals, it was also named Moria, which is what was chiselled on the entrance pillar.

When it was first built, it was used for society meetings and Sunday School. At the time, the members were part of Bethesda.

Mr George died in 1831 before Moriah became its own church, after a vicious attack at his home on Maes Mawr Farm. Both he and his wife Mary were severely wounded when four men attempted to burgle the house. Mrs George recovered and was one of the first members received into Moriah at its inception as a church.

In September 1835, the church members wrote to Bethesda to ask for permission to withdraw and become their own church. At the time, there were 51 members. It was granted and before the year was out, another 14 members joined the church at Moriah. The 65 members formed the Church of Moriah which officially began on Friday, December 25 1835.

By October 1836, a £400 extension of the church was completed, in order to accommodate its members. In 1872, Moriah was the last church in Risca and surrounding areas to hold services exclusively in Welsh.

In the spring of 1894, the new Moriah Church was built beside Tredegar Park, Lord Tredegar, he eventually agreeing to provide the land.

The Burial Act of 1890 stated that Moriah was one of the places where no new burials were allowed to happen, although burials into existing family plots were allowed to continue.

With the church in ruins - later to be demolished - and the graveyard not being used, it was left abandoned for almost a century. Then in the 1980s, the council cleared the undergrowth and exposed the foundations of the chapel, graves and headstones.

It is known that there are more than 100 people buried in the graveyard however, there are no records available of their names - only 36 headstones were able to be saved and two slab and box graves.

The latter were kept in their original positions while the remaining headstones were moved and placed along the back wall.

Today, the graveyard is the responsibility of the council.

In 1984, Dave Woolven was able to record the inscriptions of the readable headstones at the time. He counted 124 headstones, but not all were readable.

Five of those who are buried there are victims of the mining disasters at Black Vein Colliery. They are 43-year-old William Harris and his brother John, 41, they were killed during the explosion at the colliery on December 1 1860.

Isaac Saunders, 42 of Pen-y-rhiw, was also killed in the same explosion. His son Llewellyn, 11, survived the initial explosion but was seriously injured and died on December 6 1860.

Daniel Wilkins, 41, was also a victim of that explosion and was buried in the graveyard, but no headstone exists for him.

Three victims of the Risca Colliery explosion on July 15 1880 are also buried there. There is a headstone for Charles Edmund, 50, though Henry Baker, 24, and Thomas Jones, 25, have no headstones remaining.

William Gittins was 41 when he was killed in the Risca Colliery disaster on January 15 1882.

Also buried here is Edmund Edmunds, deacon of Moriah, and his inscription said he worked for more than 40 years as an inspector for the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company. He lived in Yew Cottages, Pontymister and died on April 8 1877, aged 64.

A headstone also exists for the family of John Matthews. His first wife Ann died in 1857, their daughter Mary Ann died aged 11 in 1855, and three other children died in infancy. Mr Matthews’ second wife Elizabeth was also buried here after her death in 1869.

Walter Rosser from Bassaleg and his seven-strong family, are buried in a plot. His wife Leah died in 1890 and six of their children died between 1851 and 1868.

The headstone for Thomas George, a founding member of Moriah, still exists. His wife, who died in 1848, and their son William (1828) are buried with him.

One of the last people known to have been buried here was John Jones, the landlord of the Risca House Hotel. There is no headstone for him, but he was buried on November 23 1893 with military honours, as he was also an honorary member of the Risca Rifle Volunteers ‘D’ Company, South Wales Borderers.

One of the saddest sights is a column headstone split into three and seemingly left in pieces. It is the headstone of Ann Harris who died aged 20 on June 16 1860. Also on the stone are her parents Mary and William Harris, who died on April 1 1867 and September 3 1871 respectively, at ages 66 and 74.

Mr and Mrs Harris’ grandson Seth Freegard, who died aged 13 on December 18 1876 is also named on the column.

He was among 17 killed immediately following a gas explosion at Cwmtillery Colliery. A further five people subsequently died of their injuries.

Today, many remaining headstones are unreadable or barely readable. Some are broken and in need of repair. Very few are fully readable.

The former chapel is visible up a couple of steps and hedges cover a number of the stones.

With thanks to Bernard Osment and Steve Veysey for assistance with research.