Exford's Green Primitive Methodist Chapel

Chapel Lane Exford's Green SY5 8HQ: also known as Hurst Bank

Exford's Green Primitive Methodist Chapel

Street View in 2011 shows what appears to be a former chapel in need of repair in Exford’s Green.  Exford’s Green is a parish with widely distributed houses, rather than in a nucleated central settlement.  It is exactly the location of a Primitive Methodist chapel on the 1882 Ordnance Survey map, so is highly likely to be the chapel identified in the Primitive Methodist magazine of 1864.

We are told in the January 1864 Primitive Methodist magazine that Exford’s Green Primitive Methodist Chapel was re-opened after enlargement in 1863.  This is the account:

Re-opening of Exford’s-Green Chapel, Shrewsbury Circuit.—The above chapel having been for some time too small to accommodate the increasing congregation, . the trustees, having recently paid off the whole of the old debt, resolved to enlarge the chapel by having it made ten feet, longer and two feel higher, with eight  rising pews at the end, thus making additional room, for fifty persons. This has now been accomplished, and we have put a new iron palisading in the front, firmly fixed in stone sleepers.

The chapel was re-opened on September 13th, 1863, when Mr. R. Toy, of Hope’s Gate, preached morning and evening ; and Mr. C. Reece, of Hill Top, in the afternoon. The congregations and collections were very good. On the day following a tea meeting was held, when 140 persons partook of the rich provisions. After tea a public service was held, supported by Messrs. W. Wilkinson, J. Davies, R. Toy, T. Pritchard, and C. Temperton. A good influence pervaded the assembly.

The cost of the enlargement is £80, towards which we have obtained by subscriptions, tea meeting, re-opening collections, &c., about £40 ; thus leaving a debt of £40 on the chapel, which we expect will soon be paid off, as the chapel in generally filled and the society is doing well. C. Temperton.”

What has happened since 2011? Street View doesn’t go close enough to see the building.

Janice Cox’s Shropshire’s Non-Conformist Chapels website tells a little of the story and shares a picture.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine January 1864 pages 46-47

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