The first Primitive Methodist chapel in Shefford was opened around 1830. It was part of the Berkshire Mission, led by John Ride and Thomas Russell .
It was replaced in 1905 by the chapel in Wantage Road, which was known as Russell and Ride Memorial, named after two leaders of the Berkshire mission. This served until around 1980 and at the time of Keith Guyler’s picture was used as a garage. Although its location is clearly marked on the 1947 Ordnance Survey map and the garage is still there, the building has disappeared. Can anyone confirm what happened?
The chapels were in West Shefford which is also known as Great Shefford – because, surprisingly, it is bigger than East or Little Shefford.
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Thanks for the correction and additional information Steve. The two pictures clearly show the same building and it might well be that the different names simply reflect its move from being a Primitive Methodist chapel to a Methodist church at some point after Methodist Union in 1932 becoming known as Wantage Road.
It is possible that the 1830 and 1905 chapels were on the same site, or the new chapel might be the one by the railway. But we know there was a new chapel in 1905, as the article on the Hungerford Circuit which sourced the picture above called it a new chapel.
Good morning.
There’s something wrong with your story here. Looking at the maps on the NLS site, there were adjacent chapels (Wes and P.M.) on Wantage Road by 1880 – https://maps.nls.uk/view/104196973
These are more clearly seen on a map of 1899 –
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19&lat=51.47502&lon=-1.44641&layers=168&b=1&marker=53.12219,-4.12718
The 1960 map shows that one of these has been demolished or closed (probably the P.M.), and a new chapel (of unknown flavour) built next to the railway line.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=51.47487&lon=-1.44609&layers=193&b=1&marker=53.12219,-4.12718
The photos on your page are labelled as Russell and Ride Memorial chapel (which your text says was the first P.M. chapel), and the other being the Wantage Road Chapel (your text says this is the second chapel). But the photos are of the same building.
All of this suggests that there was only ever one P.M. Chapel – on the Wantage Road site.
Regards
Steve Bulman
Thanks for the update Sid.
The building was being used as an extension to the repair garage for many years, until a planning application was submitted to demolish it to extend the main garage. The local Methodists were consulted and it was agreed that it should be destroyed rather than it be used for something other than worship. So it went!
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