A comprehensive laser scan of the 19th century former synagogue in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales has been carried out, as a major step in the ongoing long-term project to restore the site and create a Welsh Jewish Heritage Center.
Dating from 1872, the Grade II listed building is the oldest purpose-built synagogue still standing in Wales.
The laser documentation of the synagogue was commissioned by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Heritage (FJH), which has made the restoration of the building and creation of a Jewish Heritage Center a flagship project.
The Foundation purchased it in 2019 and received major funding for urgent preservation work last year.
Wessex Archaeology carried out a comprehensive laser scan of both the exterior and interior of the neo-Gothic building, employing a technology that uses lasers “to take millimetre accurate 3D measurements of every part of a building’s surface and its environs,” a news release said.
This data has been used to create plans and elevation drawings of the building and will be archived in the RCAHMW’s National Monuments Record of Wales as a permanent record of the synagogue. The data can also be used to form the basis for 3D modelling and there are future plans by the project partners to create a virtual reconstruction of the synagogue as it was before it closed in 1983.
A unique feature of the synagogue, it notes, “is the stone Welsh dragon which sits proudly on the gable of the entrance bay.”
“We are delighted to be working with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Wessex Archaeology in utilising latest technologies to document the special synagogue of Merthyr Tydfil and provide a resource that will help with the eventual presentation of the building’s story,” said Michael Mail, CEO of the FJH.
The stone-built synagogue is considered architecturally one of the most important synagogues in the UK. It was sold in 1983 when the Jewish community disbanded. It was then used as a community center and a gym, but has been standing empty and deteriorating since 2006.
“The accuracy of the laser scanning technique means that the building can both be digitally preserved in its current state as a record for future generations and offers the opportunity to recreate what it would have looked like in its former glory. There are some really exciting possibilities ahead for engaging people with this amazing place,” said Chris Brayne, Chief Executive at Wessex Archaeology.
The Foundation for Jewish Heritage’s vision is to create a “Welsh Jewish Heritage Center” that would “present the 250+ year history of the Welsh Jewish community, promote inter-cultural dialogue and provide a new cultural venue for Merthyr.”
A March 2021 report posted by the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance, noted the following work to date on the project in addition to the laser documentation (info appears to have been provided by the FJH):
— The urgent repairs to stabilise the Merthyr Tydfil synagogue building, making it wind and watertight and safe, have been completed.
— The building was filmed and photographed before and during the repair works to be used in future promotional material and this included conducting a series of local interviews.
— The consultant commissioned to prepare a detailed Business Plan is finishing her work.
— The next phase will be submitting a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund as we pursue the vision of creating a Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre.
— An important recent local development was the announcement of the £50 million Cyfarthfa Development Plan for Merthyr Tydfil which, if realised, will be a major boost for the town and our own synagogue project. We will be able to make a distinct contribution in addressing complementary issues around diversity, inter-cultural dialogue etc.
— Artist’s impressions of what the eventual Heritage Centre might look like when completed have been prepared.
Read our article about the 2020 funding for urgent preservation work on the synagogue
Read our article about the Foundation’s purchase of the synagogue in 2019