THE construction firm behind the scheme to dual the Heads of the Valleys Road is hoping to trace any descendants of six children and four adults buried in the graveyard of a chapel in Gilwern.

Costain Ltd, which is working to widen the A465 between Gilwern and Brynmawr is hoping that descendants of ten people buried in the graveyard of the Lion Terrace Chapel will come forward before the remains and memorials are removed and reinterred at the nearby Llanelly Cemetery on Church Road.

Among the children buried in the graveyard are Thomas Watkins, who died at just ten months-old on March 1, 1847 and Benjamin Watkins, who was one year and two months-old when he died on October 14, 1870.

They have to be removed from the graveyard, following the demolition of the chapel, as work to widen the 8.1kilometre stretch of road progresses.

The scheme requires 122 hectares of land as well as the demolition of eight buildings that include the former Drum and Monkey and Lion Hotel public houses and a former Methodist Chapel and burial ground that was partially cleared during the construction of the current A465 road.

The chapel was built in 1838 and may have gone out of use as early as 1900.

Costain Ltd has published a disused burial grounds notice giving two months warning of its intention to remove the remains and memorials but say it is possible that some remains are buried there that don't have memorials.

Phil Baker, Costain Ltd's community relations manager, added: "It is quite sad as many of the graves are for children."

A plan of the present place of burial and a list of names of those buried as far as can be ascertained will be in Clydach Village Hall in Clydach until August 27.

The firm will arrange for all remains to be removed and reinterred or cremated following conditions set by the Welsh Secretary of State that include taking due care and attention to decency, screening the area from the public during removal and placing any items buried with the deceased in containers.

Those remains will be removed before any building work takes place and reinterred at Llanelly Cemetery on Church Road in Gilwern within two years. Costain will re-erect any unclaimed memorials and cover the expense for those representatives or relatives.

Representatives or relatives of anyone buried at the chapel should give notice in writing to Costain by August 27 and indicate if they wish to make their own arrangements for the removal and re-interment in any churchyard, burial ground or cemetery.

The design for the scheme includes a 50mph limit, improved junctions and viewpoints of the Gorge, extra laybys at Sale Yard and Clydach Gorge, a safer cycling crossing at Brynmawr and a split-level carriageway.

It will link up with the Abergavenny to Gilwern stretch that was completed in 2008 and the Brynmawr to Tredegar stretch which is due to be ready this year. When finished it will provide a continuous dual carriageway between Abergavenny and Merthyr.

The names on the memorials at the Lion Terrace Chapel in Gilwern are;

Alice Watkins, who died aged two years and three months on October 6, 1864.

Benjamin Watkins, who died aged one year and two months on October 14, 1870.

Richard Oakley, who died aged four years on January 14, 1859.

Ellen Oakley, who died aged 14 on May 10, 1862.

Thomas Watkins, who died aged ten months on March 1, 1847.

MaryAnn Watkins, who died aged 58, on October 23, 1851.

Thomas Watkins, who died aged 59 on October 27, 1875.

John Watkins, who died aged 27, on August 16, 1878.

John Walbey, who died aged 17, on April 6, 1846.

Jane Tizah Williams, who died aged 13, in April 1862.

Are you related to any of the people listed here? Let us know at newsdesk@southwalesargus.co.uk or call 01633 777226.