Bewsey Road Methodist Church

[peridot1]

Hi Everyone

 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas but am glad that things have returned to what passes for normality.

 

Some of you may remember I have a former incarnation as a Man from the Pru covering a large portion of the old Town Centre round Lovely Lane and Old Bewsey a lot of which has now disappeared. I am also interested in old Warrington Churches and wondered if anyone knew whether there was an extant photograph of the Methodist Chapel on Bewsey Road which stood where the Co - op Funeral Care place is now and adjacent to the old Nurses Home at the side of Bewsey Terrace?

 

Also does anyone know anything about the former British Typewriting School that was latterly housed in the first tall terraced house on the right of Bewsey Street opposite Kevin Garner's old office? It was run by a Mrs Risley from Bewsey as I recall...

 

Thanks

 

Peridot

 

 

[Hill Cliffe walker]

If you 'google'  'PDF Bewsey Street Conservation Area Appraisal'  you will find what you want about Bewsey Street Methodist Church.

You can download the PDF and then find what you want on Page 27 - although the number on the page is 25.

There is a good picture of the Church and information about it.

 

I tried to include the attachment - but it was too big for this site.

[Bazj]

Hill Cliffe Walker.... I copied the photo you mentioned onto the Warrington memories Facebook page.... but here it is for peridot1 just in case he/she isn't on FB

 

[Dizzy]

Wow what a lovely church and I had no idea that used to be where the funeral place is now.  What a shame it was knocked down.

 

I've not read the Conservation appraisal yet but when was it knocked down and why ?  The houses to the right of it look to be the ones that are still there and what's the other church on the right of the photo ?

 

Sorry... too many questions... maybe I should just read the document

[Gary]

Hill Cliffe Walker.... I copied the photo you mentioned onto the Warrington memories Facebook page.... but here it is for peridot1 just in case he/she isn't on FB

 

Our old ofices were across the road from this church and I never knew it existed! Almost criminal that a building of such quality should be demolished!

Mind you we can say the same for a lot of our town's old buildings can't we!!!

[Hill Cliffe walker]

The description of Bewsey Street Methodist Church is 'In 1875, the area was graced with yet another religious establishment in the form of the Bewsey Road Methodist Church, situated on the corner of Bewsey Road and Froghall Lane.  This fine and substantial edifice was regarded locally as the finest Gothic style building in the town after St Elphin's and St Mary's.
Regrettably it succumbed to dry rot and was closed in 1963. It was acquired by the Warrington Co-operative Society for their funeral services and demolished in 1966'.   
The Church on the right of the photo was St Paul's. Founded in 1830 and closed in 1980.

[Bazj]

Wow what a lovely church and I had no idea that used to be where the funeral place is now.  What a shame it was knocked down.

 

I've not read the Conservation appraisal yet but when was it knocked down and why ?  The houses to the right of it look to be the ones that are still there and what's the other church on the right of the photo ?

 

Sorry... too many questions... maybe I should just read the document

 

Hill Cliffe Walker has copied the text that explains everything... the houses to the right are indeed still there. It was the old nurses home for the infirmary I believe

[Gary]

The description of Bewsey Street Methodist Church is 'In 1875, the area was graced with yet another religious establishment in the form of the Bewsey Road Methodist Church, situated on the corner of Bewsey Road and Froghall Lane.  This fine and substantial edifice was regarded locally as the finest Gothic style building in the town after St Elphin's and St Mary's.

Regrettably it succumbed to dry rot and was closed in 1963. It was acquired by the Warrington Co-operative Society for their funeral services and demolished in 1966'.   

The Church on the right of the photo was St Paul's. Founded in 1830 and closed in 1980.

Closed the year I was born - no wonder I don't remember it!

[peridot1]

Hi All

 

Thanks greatly for your replies which are most informative. I had no idea that this Church was such a grandiose building and had rather imagined it to be on a scale similar to All Saint's Mission in Hoyle Street which is still standing though no longer in use for religious worship. As an indication as to how church attendances have declined, the surroundings of the length of Bewsey Road contained the following churches over about the last 100 years from Folly Lane to the end of Bewsey Street and Foundry Street junction;

 

All Saint's Mission (Chapel of Ease to St Paul's) - Hoyle Street - Still standing though not in church use.

St Pauls C of E Church - demolished.

Bewsey Road Methodist Church - demolished.

Wycliffe Congregational Church - still in part use with tower and top storeys removed.

St Alban's RC Church - still in use..

Buckley Street Methodist Free Church - still in use as far as I know.

 

I would welcome hearing of any omissions but as far as I know and from memory the above list is correct.

 

I agree it is scandalous that a building on the scale of Bewsey Road was demolished and wonder what the scale of building of other lost churches in Warrrington was?

 

As the Methodist Church seem to have been builders of ornate churches in their heyday, does anyone know of photographs existing of for example the Primitive (Zion) Chapel on the corner of Legh Street and Jolley Street which has now disappeared under Midland Way, the Golborne Street (Salem) Baptist Church and the original Bold Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Palmyra Square? I was married in the Methodist Church though not in Warrington and have an interest in the general design and architecture of Non - Conformist Chapels.

 

Thanks again for info to date.

 

Peridot

[Hill Cliffe walker]

This time you need to 'google' 'Palmyra Square Conservation Area Appraisal'.

When you find the PDF for this, go to Page 33 (the No 31 is on the page shown).

 

The original Bold Street Methodist Church is on the Queen's Gardens picture.

 

Emmanuel Free Church, Lower Bold Street can be seen on Page 49.

 

Friar's Green Independent Methodists is on Page 50.

 

Golborne Street Particular Baptist Chapel link is http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Warrington/GolborneStParticularBaptist.shtml

[peridot1]

Hi again

 

Sorry for the slight delay in acknowledging Hill Cliffe walker's last response but I only have access to a laptop at certain times of the week. Thanks to HCw for the last information and having downloaded the appraisals the information therein is just what I have been looking for. My interest in Warrington's churches has been coupled with an idea of exploring the possibility of producing a booklet containing as many photos as exist of demolished/former churches in the Town but at the moment there seem many gaps for example: Stepney Chapel, Cockhedge Mission, Ellesmere Street Methodist, St George's Mission Brick Street and Zion Primitive Methodist Legh Street. Many of these buildings seem to have survived into modern times but just may never have been photographed I have to presume unless anyone on here can point me in the direction of any extant prints. Ironically I used to pass the Zion Chapel most days when going into the Pru office but of course when it was there tomorrow was always when I would have time to do it...I seem to remember Rattigan's the stationers having it in later years. Any advices would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Peridot

[Bazj]

Peridot.....

 

Head to the main library and ask them in there... you will be amazed what photos they hold!

[Dizzy]

Crikey I've never even heard of some of those Churches so hurry up with your booklet Peridot as it sounds really interesting. 

 

Like Baz says try the library/museum but also try Manchester City Library as they might have some photos (or other info)  as they hold quite of lot of the records for Lancashire which of course parts of Warrington used to be in.  They certainly have some of the birth/marriage/death records for some of those churches as they show up on their website so there might be other things too.

 

Cheshire & Chester Archives & Local Studies seem to have a lot for the Zion Chapel.... see here (although you probably already know that)   Bit of a pain visiting there though as it's advisable to book a slot and also pre-order what you want to view.... never seems enough time when you have a lot to read through 

 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=017-ems257&cid=-1#-1

[peridot1]

Thanks Baz and Diz for the tips which I will follow up. At the moment I haven't located enough photos to make it viable to publish but am following up some leads gained from David Forrest's booklet called "Warrington Places of Worship", first published in 1990 and regularly revised since and probably still on sale in the main Library. It isn't illustrated but does as far as is known contain details of all present and former churches and chapels. I have spent hours looking through it despite it only being about 55 pages long. The detail is amazing.

 

Peridot