Birtley Primitive Methodist Chapel with Graveyard
Birtley Cross, Lingen Civil Parish, Herefordshire
Location GR – SO 36655 68928
In 2013 the building has now been converted into a dwelling, the south wall brickwork has been rendered over. The chapel may be seen in Google Street View 2009 in its condition prior to full conversion, it had dormer windows at this time, from a period unknown. The wall plaque states “Primitive Methodist Chapel – 1851 – Hitherto The Lord Has Helped Us”. It is not known yet exactly when the chapel closed after 1972-6. There is a small graveyard to the North West of the chapel.
Herefordshire Through Time web site states :- To the west of Birtley Cross and just to the north of Lingen village is a building which was marked on the 1st Edition OS map as a Primitive Methodist Chapel. It is no longer marked as a place of worship on modern OS maps.
Kelly’s Directory 1895 Hfds & Salop, P 131. LINGEN. Here are two Primitive Methodist chapels.
Kelly’s Directory 1913 Hfds, P 150. LINGEN. Here are two Primitive Methodist chapels.
Click on the link to History on Line to view a map dated 1891.
On the 1886 OS Herefordshire 1:2,500 map the building is marked as Methodist Chapel (Primitive)
On the 1903 OS Herefordshire 1:2,500 map the building is marked as Methodist Chapel (Primitive)
On the 1976 OS Herefordshire 1:2,500 map the building is marked as Birtley Methodist Church.
The above maps may be viewed at Old Maps
POWYS COUNTY ARCHIVES/ARCHIFAU SIR POWYS Archives hold, Leintwardine Methodist Circuit Preaching Plans, from 13 Oct 1940 – 31 July 1972.
Which state:-In 1940 there were churches at Leintwardine, Twitchen, Wigmore, Bucknell, Walford, Adforton, Birtley, Lingen, Clungunford, Crook Mullen, Leinthall Starkes and Aymestry.
In 1972 the churches listed were Leintwardine, Twitchen, Wigmore, Walford cum Bucknell, Adforton, Birtley, Lingen, Crook Mullen, Leinthall Starkes and Aymestry Chapels.
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The Primitive Methodist Magazine for January 1852 (p.54) contains an account by W Wood of Leintwardine of the opening of Birtley Primitive Methodist chapel on 12th October 1851. Congregations were so large that only the morning service could be held in the new chapel; the afternoon and evening services were held in a large tent. The following day’s tea meeting was attended by over 300 people. Preachers included G Lloyd, J.Round (Ludlow), J MIddleton (Ludlow), W Wood, J Nott,, J Middleton, E Jones, E Cowdall.
The chapel was brick built, 24′ x 19.5′ and 10′ high, with a board floor. The overall cost was around £97 of which £70 had been raised.
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