This Chapel, the third on the site, is one of the most prominent buildings in Redruth. It stands on the site of a Chapel built in 1760 for the first
Methodist Society in Redruth, which was probably formed in 1743.
John Wesley visited Redruth several times, the first in 1745, when he wrote on June 19th that they were set upon by forty or fifty ruffians, which included being pelted with stones. In 1760 he wrote of quite a change. “So is this roughest become one of the quietest towns in England”. He also wrote on Monday 9th September 1765 “The room would by no means contain the congregation at five in the morning. How is this town changed”?
The present Chapel, with its front of Cornish granite, was completed in 1826 at a cost of £5,000. In 1866 it was enlarged, and in 1885 the present pulpit was erected. Nicholas Pevsner in his “Buildings of England” describes the Chapel as a “proud plain rectangle… a larger edition of the typical Cornish Methodist Chapel”. The seating capacity at one time was 1,500, but is now 950.
A modern Vestibule, with toilets and kitchen area, replaced the ground floor back pews, which were tiered (and known as ‘The House of Lords’) in 1993. This allows smaller meetings to take place in this building, rather than the Memorial (Sunday School) building.
During the Second World War the Chapel suffered damage from two evening bombing raids. Many of its windows were shattered and extensive damage was done to the ceiling.
Sweetland of Bath probably built the organ. In 1901 and 1969 the organ was rebuilt, first by Hele and Co. of Plymouth, and then W.M. Eglinton. It has three manuals, 29 speaking stops, and 10 couplers. It is widely known as a fine instrument, probably only bettered locally by that in Truro Cathedral.
The Sunday School began in 1815, and in 1863 a large schoolroom was built. This was originally designed as a day school and the scholars paid 2d (a little less than 1p) a week for their education. The main hall was over 30 feet high with a gallery and stage. This building was demolished in 1976 due to wet and dry rot, and in its place the new Jubilee Hall was erected, designed by John Crowther and Associates, Architects, of Truro. This was named in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, and was opened on 10th September 1977 by Rev. A. Bernard Franklin, Chairman of the Cornwall District.
The Memorial Buildings were completed in 1891 to commemorate the centenary of the death of John Wesley, and there is a stained glass window of him in the Memorial Hall. The late Mr. James Wicket opened the buildings and they consist of a large hall with other rooms on two floors, which are used by the Young Church and weekday meetings. On the wall of the Memorial Hall are three large panels of Delabole slate on which are carved the Ten Commandments and Lord’s Prayer. (Spot the spelling mistakes!)
In April 1975 the three remaining Methodist Societies in Redruth agreed to join together to form the Redruth Methodist Church, in this suite of premises.
At that time the Chapels at Plain-an-Gwarry, built in 1883 for the Primitive Methodists, and Treruffe Hill, built in 1863 for the Bible Christians, were closed, and these have since been developed into living accommodation.
The ‘Flower Pot’ Car Park at the top of Fore Street was also the site of a Methodist Church, built by the Free Methodists in 1865. The Society of the Fore Street Methodist Church amalgamated with the Treruffe Hill Society in 1963. ‘Flower Pot’ Chapel was so called because of decorative urns that were on the parapet fronting the roof; these are now on the gateposts of the town’s Victoria Park.
Methodism had an impact on the earlier mining of this area, and many who emigrated to other parts of the world established Methodist Churches in their locality. Descendants of these regularly visit when tracing their family tree, and are always welcome.
In 2000 we embarked on our ‘Millennium Vision’, to improve and upgrade the Memorial buildings, repairing the damage of the years and bringing them into the 21st century, including incorporating disabled access. This would help to make them more widely usable by the community. In 2005 we entered a sharing agreement with the YMCA, and they now manage the premises six days a week on our behalf, enabling much wider use by many local groups. And together we have continued the ongoing improvements to the facilities on offer.
There is much happening in the regular life of the congregation, too, as seen in our weekly notices. The chapel is also regarded as having very good acoustics, which results in several concerts and similar events being staged during the year.
This comes at a cost, though, and we are currently (autumn of 2010) investigating some necessary work to the chapel itself. Along side this we are looking at our place in the community, to ensure we offer what is needed as we seek to serve the community, as we offer a place in God’s Kingdom to those here in Redruth.
