The Welsh Methodists built a Chapel on the site in Conway Road in 1873 at a cost of £700. The first Minister was the Rev. E. W. Evans, M.A., from Tarvin and his congregation was only a small one. However in due course the chapel was also used and subsequently owned by the English Presbyterians.
The chapel can just be seen on the right of this photograph.
From the Conway Road frontage there is now no evidence of the Chapel’s former presence. But if you go behind the building and into the back alley that joins Penrhyn Road with Station Road, remains of the back limestone wall of the Chapel are still visible.
The limestone wall of the rear of the Chapel.
In 1879 the Welsh Methodists moved from the chapel to their newly built Engedi Chapel in Woodland Road West. The building continued to be used by the English Presbyterians until they sold the site in 1890 for £1,800. The building was then transformed into the Colwyn Bay staging post and booking office for the local coaching company. However when the age of the car arrived the building was converted into the Cosy Cinema, which many local people still remember. On entering the cinema the audience was facing you and the screen was on the wall above your head. A brick extension had to be built at the rear of the building to house the projection equipment and this extension can still be seen today.
Bolted to the wall above the Conway Road entrance was the prow of a boat.
Because of the small size of the auditorium, the business eventually became uneconomical and the premises were turned into a shop more or less as you see it to-day.
Source:
Colwyn Bay Civic Society Magazine – October 1989
