Thurmaston Bethel Primitive Methodist chapel
Melton Rd, Thurmaston, LE4 8BD
Thurmaston Bethel Primitive Methodist Chapel in Melton Road was built in 1884. It followed on from an 1833 chapel in Garden Street – see here. The foundation stones for the new chapel were laid on Whit Sunday. The architect was Mr Day of Wymondham and the chief contractor Mr Clayton. The contract sum for the chapel was £735 and for the schoolroom £240. The original plan was simply to build a chapel but a fortuitous opportunity to sell the old chapel meant that funds were available to build a school across the back of the chapel. The chapel measured 30 feet by 45 feet. It had galleries on three sides and seated 500. The school measured 24 feet by 36 feet. There were five classrooms on the ground floor with a schoolroom above. By 1920 the chapel and the school seated 500 persons each and to date £4000 had been spent on the construction and alteration of the buildings.
In 1925 the chapel received the gift of some land worth £320. Presumably this was the site on the north side of the chapel and the stone building which still stands on the front of the site. A new school was built here in 1928. A substantial extension was added on the north side during the post war period
In 1940 the chapel had seating for 350 in pews and there were two schoolrooms and nine other rooms.
The buildings are no longer used as a Methodist place of worship but it is difficult to determine what, if any, is the current use.
Grid ref SK608093
Sources:
- The Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham Times, 5.6.1884
- Leicestershire etc. Record Office, N/M/320/34, 36 trust reports and schedules, 1904-1953
- Methodist Accommodation returns, 1940
- Site visit 15.9.2018
Comments about this page
I’ve added pictures of the chapel. Thanks to its current users for letting me take photographs inside.
It’s the first time I have come across a gospel temperance commemoration stone.
The stone building was not connected to the chapel at all.
It was in fact Thurmaston’s blacksmiths forge until the 1960s after which it fell into disrepair until it was completely renovated about five years ago
The whole of the chapel site belongs to the garage next door and part of it is used for storage
Ray and Marie Ella tell us that records are available at Leicester Record Office:
Ref. DE 1971, N/W/ 331/1-2: Thurmaston PM Church/Chapel Records, 1887-1932, 1933-1956.
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