|
|
Wesleyans And
Methodists
The original Chapel was founded in 1830 by three
local Preachers with the first services being held in
what was the disused Baptist Chapel in Middleton and
what is now Cowling Day Nursery.
A larger place of worship was erected in 1832 and
because of its proximity to the old Toll Bar House on
the Keighley to Colne turnpike road was commonly
referred to as "the Bar Chapel" or "Ickornshaw Bar
Chapel"
Home of the Wesleyans and free Methodists for nearly
fifty years, it was outgrown by the congregation and the
building of a new chapel was planned on a site next to
the old "Bar Chapel". Opened on the 14th October 1882,
and known as the United Methodist Church, it has seating
for 750, with 300 children attending its Sunday School,
separate premises were erected for this in 1886-7.
Further expansion and conversions took place in 1907,
with a Primary Department, and 1921 with rooms for
mid-week activities.
The late 1950`s saw a diminishing congregation and the
escalation of repairs and maintenance costs. On the 29th
of November 1964 a service was held to commemorate the
ending of worship at the United Methodist Church which
was later demolished to be replaced by a small housing
development known as Pinnacle View.
The remaining congregation joined that at the small
Walton Street Church in the Village and a new building
was erected on the site and opened in 1965, to be known
as what is today St. Andrew's Methodist Church.
The burial ground , on the site of the original Bar
Chapel was extended in the 1930`s and to accommodate the
modern trend of cremation a garden of rest was created
in 1960 for the scattering of ashes. Later a tabling was
erected for the fixing of Memorial Plaques. |
|
|
