Bridge Primitive Methodist chapel

Thanks to Katherine Mezzacappa for contributing a picture of a most unusual wooden -fronted Primitive Methodist chapel in Bridge, near Canterbury. The picture dates from 1920 when the  building was in private occupation.  Katherine passes on information from Alan Barber in Bridge and District History Society.

Bridge has some Primitive Methodist heritage. “The core of Bridge Village Hall (28 High Street, CT4 5JZ) was a Wesleyan Chapel built in circa 1825. It flourished for a while but then the congregation shrank.  The chapel was rented (£4 p/a) to the Primitive Methodists (Ranters) ‘but they disturbed the whole neighbourhood’.

In 1852 the Wesleyan Conference agreed its sale to the Marchioness Conyngham. The Prims then met in a private house until 1868 when their own chapel was erected in Dering Road. It continued until c.1910 when it became a private house – it was demolished in 1951.”

The Primitive Methodist  chapel is marked on the 1896 Ordnance Survey map.  It is still there, but unlabelled on the 1906 map.