Southport Cemetery Road Primitive Methodist Chapel Lancashire
This chapel was built in 1894
As its name suggests this chapel was not only built in Cemetery Road it was built next door to the cemetery. During its erection there was some competition with the Wesleyan chapel further up the road and even though the Primitive chapel was a more modest building a small tower was added on to it.
Before union with the Wesleyans the congregation here had associations with the chapel at Shirdley Hill. Trips were arranged to the country chapel and the two congregations spent time together.
In August 1951 the Cemetery Road chapel closed it being one of the smallest chapels in the circuit. There was still a congregation of 51 at this time. They were directed to the chapel 300 yards up the road. This is a very different situation from today where a chapel can remain open with only a handful of members. 77 people attended the final service and the local paper reported ‘Church half empty for last service’.
In June 2015 the building is being used by ‘Hogfather’ motorcycles – a firm selling, hiring and repairing bikes. No doubt since 1951 it has been used for a variety of purposes.
Acknowledgment
‘Dissenters of Every Description’ – the extraordinary story of Southport’s non-conformist churches – by Geoffrey Ellis
Photos taken June 2015
OS MAp Ref:108:SD342160
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The laying of the foundation stones for Cemetery Road Primitive Methodist chapel is recorded in the Primitive Methodist magazine of December 1893 (page 761) and the opening is reported in the October 1894 magazine (page 797). Building and the land cost £2,400 of which they had raised around half.
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