I was once asked why there were so many chapels in valleys villages. The questioner was a newly qualified Anglican priest, and he found it difficult to understand in particular that there may be two or three chapels with the same nominal denomination. The best explanation I could come up with came from thinking about Senghenydd.
At one time there were seven chapels (as far as I know - thanks for the correction Chris Skelding!), one Anglican church, and one Roman Catholic church in Senghenydd. When the pit was in its heyday it probably employed fifteen hundred men (sources vary). Many families had two or more men at the mine, and some travelled from outside the village, but Source 4 contends that 71% of the workforce came from the village. Given the size of families in those days, that puts the total population of Senghenydd at at least three thousand.
Another feature of the mining communities was their strong religious faith, possibly because of the dangerous nature of the work. I would contend that the vast majority of residents were members at one or other of the chapels, and a quick calculation (2500/9) puts the average congregation (including women and children) at nearly three hundred. Obviously some chapels were smaller, and some larger, but you see the point.
Noddfa however, closed some years ago, and the site was turned into a playground. It's unusual for such a playground to last so well given the vandalism in these villages, but it's doing alright so far.
Your choice of directions is
Map of Senghenydd