Driffield Primitive Methodist Chapel, East Riding

George Street YO25 6RA

Keith Guyler, 1999
Driffield George Street Primitive Methodist chapel
Christian Messenger 1907/273

The first PM chapel in Driffield was built in Mill Street in 1821. It was enlarged in 1856, altered in 1865, and demolished in the 1980s.

It was replaced by a magnificent and imposing chapel, in George Street, in 1873. It cost £5,000, including the organ and furniture, and there was still a debt of £1,600 remaining on it in 1892.

This chapel was described as ‘a large and handsome edifice of brick with freestone dressings, in the Norman style’. The front was flanked by a tower. Inside, there was a gallery, with pitch pine pews to seat 1,000 people. The large windows were filled with ‘cathedral glass’ surrounded by a coloured border.

On the south wall there was a marble monument to Thomas Wood, who was for 60 years a member, and died in 1881, at the age of 85.

Adjoining were two school-rooms, nine class-rooms, a preacher’s room, and committee room.

The chapel closed in 1964, and is seen here in 1999, a shadow of its former self, being used as a warehouse for Pocklington Carpets.

Comments about this page

  • The April 1866 Primitive Methodist magazine (page 236) contains an account by JR Parkinson of the re-opening of the Mill Street chapel after its alterations. They enlarged both chapel and school. at a cost of £400 with £300 raised to pay for it.
    Thomas Atkinson gave site; H Flippard was the architect.
    Speakers at the re-opening included Rev P Milson, T Newell, T Greenbury, T Waumsley, T Keeley (Wesleyan) A Bowden (Baptist) W Mitchell (Independent, S Birch, CG Honor, G Parker, George Bullock (Wetwang) and JR Parkinson

    By Christopher Hill (04/05/2019)
  • The architect for the alteration of the Mill Street chapel was H Flippard. Joseph Wright was the architect of the George Street chapel.

    By Colin Dews (01/03/2018)
  • The organ from this chapel was moved to Acomb Methodist Church, York, in 1964.

    By Nicholas Page (06/12/2017)
  • The Primitive Methodist magazine for February 1857 (pp.111-112) contains an account by Henry Knowles describing the enlargement of the 1821 chapel.  Much of the story is around the way the cost was met by a donation and loan from local man  Mr B who, after an uncomfortable night, achieved “peace to his troubled heart” through prayers by brothers John Oxtoby and Thomas Wood.  And when Mr B died, he willed to the chapel trustees the money he had lent.

    The 1821 chapel was small, but a gallery had been installed in 1838.  However, there were no windows apart from in the end walls and the gallery was dark and uncomfortable.  In 1856, it was enlarged by raising the walls 12 feet and installing 11 windows, along with other changes.

    Re-opening services were preached by J Dodsworth (Keighley), Mr Wood (Hull) and Miss MC Buck of Leicester.

    By Christopher Hill (22/12/2016)

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