Firs Lane Primitive Methodist chapel

The foundation stones for Firs Lane Primitive Methodist chapel, west of Leigh, were laid in 1890.  They had been working to establish a society for thirty years previously and after a re-missioning the year before, purchased a site for a new school chapel.  A Sunday school had already been former.

In the report of this ceremony in the Primitive Methodist magazine, the author ascribes the reason that it had taken them thirty years to start to build a chapel to the fact that other branches of the Methodist family  got there first.  The writer appears a little miffed. He is also not optimistic about how soon the new chapel would be erected, despite the stones being laid: “Chapel and class-rooms will be erected at some time in the not too distant future.”

The chapel was certainly erected as it is on the 1893 map – on the wonderfully named Faith Street. By 1938 it is marked as Methodist chapel. By 1953 the footprint of the building is marked, but with no label. By 1969 it is labelled “garage” and on Street View in 2009 that is still its use.  It looks like the original shape of the building has been retained, along with some of the features such s the round headed windows.