Primitive Methodist Chapel, Nantwich facts for kids
The Primitive Methodist Chapel is an old church building located on Welsh Row in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. It was built in 1840 for the Primitive Methodist church. This building is considered important enough to be listed as a Grade II historic site. The chapel stopped being used for church services in 2001. Since then, part of the building has been changed into homes.
Contents
History of the Chapel
Early Days of Methodism in Nantwich
In the past, not everyone in Nantwich was happy to see Nonconformist preachers. These were Christian groups who were not part of the main Church of England. For example, in 1753, John Wesley, a famous Methodist leader, faced angry people. The same year, another preacher named George Whitefield also met crowds who tried to cause trouble.
Building the Chapel
William Clowes, who helped start the Primitive Methodist movement, came to Nantwich in 1817. He preached in an area called The Barony. Later, in 1826, the Primitive Methodists bought a building on Marsh Lane for £100 to use as a chapel.
This first chapel was used until 1840. That's when the new, bigger chapel on Welsh Row was built. A man named Thomas Bateman built it. The land for the new chapel was given by George Wilbraham and used to be a hall for cloth merchants. The Welsh Row chapel opened on 21 October 1840. It was large enough to hold 600 people!
At first, the chapel was part of the Burland Primitive Methodist area. But by 1844, a minister was assigned to Nantwich, and the town became the main center for the Primitive Methodists in the area.
Changes Over Time
In 1932, many Methodist churches joined together in something called the Methodist Union. After this, the Welsh Row chapel became one of several Methodist churches in Nantwich.
Later, in 1966, three other Methodist chapels combined to form the Central Methodist Church in Nantwich. This new church met at the old Wesleyan Methodist Church on Hospital Street. In 2000, the people who went to the Welsh Row chapel also joined the Central Methodist Church. Together, they formed the Nantwich Methodist Church. Because of this, the Welsh Row chapel closed its doors in 2001.
As of 2010, the back part of the building on Chapel Row was being used for homes. However, the main chapel building was empty and not being used.
What the Chapel Looks Like
The Primitive Methodist Chapel is a two-story building made of red bricks. It has special stone decorations. The building is set back a little from the street, behind a walled area.
The front of the building has three main sections. At the top, there's a triangular part called a pediment. On this pediment, there's a stone sign that says "Primitive Methodist Chapel. A.D. 1840." The front also has a stone line (a string course) and a decorative border (a cornice).
The main entrance is wide and has steps leading up to it. It has fancy stone pieces, a round brick arch above, and a special fan-shaped window called a fanlight. The other windows have simple stone tops (called lintels) and bottoms (called sills).
See also
- Listed buildings in Nantwich
- List of churches in Cheshire
