Coalville, Belvoir Road Primitive Methodist Chapel

Transcription of Article published in the Christian Messenger

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL AND SCHOOLS, COALVILLE, ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH CIRCUIT.

COALVILLE is a large and flourishing hamlet in Leicestershire, four and a half miles S.W. of Ashby, and sixteen miles N.E. of Leicester, and is situated in the four townships of Swannington, Snibstone, Hugglescote, and Whitwick. It was originally known as “Long Lane,” and in 1824 it contained only two houses; but such has been its remarkable transformation that there are now a large number of comfortable residences, a great variety of respectable shops, five commodious places of worship, and a growing population of more than 2,000 souls. This rapid growth is attributable to the great extension of the Snibstone and Whitwick Coal Companies, which now furnish profitable employment to more than 1000 persons. The latter company has recently established an important auxiliary, under the management of Mr. G. Smith, for the manufacture of blue bricks, fire bricks, floor quarries, sewage pipes, chimney tops, white bricks, classic and gothic mouldings, &c., and employs upwards of 100 hands. There is also a factory for the making of encaustic tiles, which gives employment to a large number of females as well as males.

About the year 1833, Coalville was missioned by our Ashby Circuit, with very encouraging success; and for the space of 29 years we were greatly indebted to G. Vaughan, Esq., for the gratuitous use of the Snibstone Company’s spacious School Room, wherein to, hold our religious services and conduct our Sabbath school. In the year 1862, the commodious chapel shown in the engraving was erected at a cost of £434; and in 1865 the beautiful school rooms adjoining it were built. The chapel is 38 feet 6 inches, by 30 feet; and the schools are 38 feet 6 inches, by 21 feet 6 inches, two storys in height. The lower story comprises four separate class rooms, two at each end of the building, and a commodious centre room, 20 feet by 19 feet, opening to the bottom of the chapel by two gothic slides, 5 feet by 8. The upper story is divided in the same proportions as the lower one, but with moveable wood partitions, and opens into the gallery to the chapel by two slides of the same character and dimensions as those below. These rooms are built in the gothic style of architecture, with outer facings of blue brick, ornamented with white dressings and quoins; and with inner facings of white brick, relieved by courses of red pressed brick, neatly tucked and unplastered. The whole of the rooms above and below are well lighted by nine gothic windows, the centre of each being ground glass, with stained margins; and the strongly wooded roof is covered with red and blue tiles in alternate courses. The entire cost of the school rooms, including the erection of a new gallery on three sides of the chapel, palisading, lighting and warming apparatus, and numerous and important alterations, is about £430, towards which more than £200 have been raised. The plans for the erection and alterations were furnished by J. Kerridge, Esq., of Wisbeach; and the materials were supplied from the works of the Whitwick Colliery Company. Mr. G. Smith, the manager of the works and the superintendent of the school, laid the foundation thereof, kindly placing on the stone his own donation of £5 as also a donation of £25 from his liberal employer, J. Whetstone, Esq., of Leicester. Besides the proceeds of bazaars, the sums realised at various collections, and the valuable aid rendered by our own immediate friends, liberal donations have been received from G. Vaughan, Esq., the respected representative of the Snibstone Company; W. Worswick, Esq., the proprietor of the Swannington Collieries; and T.T. Paget, Esq., of the Leicester Bank.

These buildings are not only an ornament to the hamlet, but they are said to be the most convenient and comfortable in the neighbourhood. The school now numbers 140 scholars, several of whom have been brought to the Saviour since the schools were erected, and who are now united with the society; and such has been the numerical and financial prosperity of the church and congregation, that Coalville now occupies the leading position in the Home Branch of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch circuit.

ROBERT PARKS,

References

Christian Messenger 1867/145