Seaton Delaval (Central) Primitive Methodist Church Northumberland

This chapel was built in 1843

This is a very large chapel with a large extension on the back. The bulk of the building is made of a mixed ochre brick while the front façade is made of red bricks. It closed in the 1980s and in May 2016 it is being used by Vega Environmental Consultants Ltd. They have converted the inside to make offices by putting in a mezzanine floor. The external appearance of the building and surrounding land indicates a caring attitude towards this 19th century chapel. All inscriptions and foundation stones are still in place.

Photos taken in May 2016

OS Map Ref:88:NZ295758

Comments about this page

  • We’ve done a little background research about Bates Cottages chapel Christine. You can see it here. It would be good to add further information.

    By Christopher Hill (23/10/2023)
  • I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Church. I am tracing my family tree and have found out some information about my Great Grandfather , Ralph Knox. In this article It says that Ralph’s Father (don’t yet know his first name), was a founder of the Methodist church at bates cottages. If you have any further information I would be most grateful. Of course if I can be of any help to you please don’t hesitate to ask.
    Many thanks

    By MRS CHRISTINE KILLEN (20/10/2023)
  • The Newcastle Chronicle of Saturday 30 November 1895, has a good article on the anniversary services of the PM chapel in Seaton Delaval that year, which includes the following:

    “At Seaton Delaval, the Primitive Methodist chapel, which celebrates its jubilee this year, having been built in 1845, was from the very first day of its opening the home of the Temperance Society…”

    Prior to this, the Society met in the long room of the Hastings Arms Inn, the only place where public meetings could be held.

    The Blyth News of Saturday 12 April 1890 makes reference to events to help clear the debt on the NEW chapel at Seaton Delaval, whilst the edition of 24 October talks about a presentation made to the minister held in the OLD chapel. All records pertaining to the chapel are at Northumberland Record office – there are none in the Newcastle District Archive room at Felling – so I have nothing else to refer too at the present time. However. I again refer to the Blyth News and an article in the 4 November 1882 edition entitled “The Story of an Old Chapel”.

    In this article reference is made to the members of the Society petitioning the owners of the colliery for assistance to enlarge the chapel (document dated 26 Sept 1849). The article goes on.. “our chapel which we find to be considerably too small, so much so that many are obliged to return home who cannot gain admission…” In 1849, there were 213 children attending the Sabbath School. The 1845 building continued to be used for Sunday School work and as a hall for other meetings and events once the new chapel was opened.

    The references, below, to the chapel being in the Norland, Sowerby Bridge and Greetland station do not relate to this particular chapel as these places are in West Yorkshire and not Northumberland!

    The Society for many years was in the North Shields PM Circuit, then in 1874 became part of the Blyth PM Circuit. Around 1880, the chapel became head of the Delaval PM Circuit and in 1937, they became part of the Blyth & Seaton Delaval Methodist Circuit.

    It is interesting to note that all four of the main branches of Methodism had chapels at Seaton Delaval and the Wesleyan Reform movement held meetings there before becoming part of the UMFC.

    By Richard Jennings (29/09/2020)
  • There appears to be some confusion as to the date when this former church was actually built. Your website suggests that it was built in 1843, whereas an examination of the first Ordnance Survey Six-Inch map of the area published in 1865 reveals that no building whatsoever stood on or adjacent to this site at that particular time. Indeed, the 1865 map shows the existence of a smaller ‘Methodist Chapel (Primitive)’ standing on a site, some 50 metres to the north west, at a point where the 1909 Masonic Hall now stands Link. By the time of the publication, in 1897, of the second Ordnance Survey Six-Inch map, this brick-built church, which is now used for business purposes, was in situ on this site with the former smaller chapel being marked on the map as a ‘Sunday School’. The 1882 Primitive Methodist magazine reported that a, “beautiful and commodious” new Primitive Methodist chapel had been opened in Seaton Delaval, and that it was, “one of the best chapels to be found in the locality.” The outlay was said to be £1,400. Therefore, it is my contention, not withstanding the fact that one of the foundation stones of the building bears an 1843 date, that this brick-built former church was constructed in 1882. I thought that you might like to know my views on this. Best wishes

    By Geoff Holland (08/07/2020)
  • The 1881 Primitive Methodist magazine (page 701) contains a note recording the laying of the foundation stones at four Primitive Methodist chapels, in the north east including Seaton Delaval in the Norland, Sowerby Bridge and Greetland station. Two were new chapels, two extensions . We are told nothing more, except that together they cost £3,000

    By Christopher Hill (18/04/2020)
  • The 1882 Primitive Methodist magazine (page 637-638) tells us that a “beautiful and commodious” new Primitive Methodist chapel has been opened in Seaton Delaval. It is “one of the best chapels to be found in the locality.”
    The outlay was £1,400 of which they had raised about half.

    By Christopher Hill (12/04/2020)
  • Parents were married here, I was baptised here, and did my yrs here in 1985 when it was Seaton Valley Community Enterprises.

    By Stuart Latty (18/10/2018)
  • We currently live in the  Minister’s house (Bourne Villa) next door to this chapel and would love to have old photographs or any information about who lived there when it was still part of the church.

    By Judith Fell (02/04/2018)
  • I was interested to read the comments about Seaton Delaval Central as I was minister at Seaton Delaval from 1973 to 1983. the Mezzanine floor was put in by a Church Sponsored Youth Employment Scheme and Job creation programme.

    David W Watson

    By Rev David W Watson (20/11/2017)

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