Congregational Chapel, Wylye
The first Independent chapel in the village was licensed for worship in 1813. The building was a former malt house. The chapel was founded by Thomas Haytor, who also founded the chapel at Codford. Wylye was known as a branch church and the two churches were mutually dependent on each other.
It is not known for certain where the chapel was, as it was demolished in the mid 19th century. It was replaced by a Congregational chapel built in 1860 at the east end of Teapot Street. The entire cost was met by Charles Jupe of Mere.
In 1951, following the resignation of the minister at Heytesbury and Sutton Veny, these villages were combined with Codford and Wylye to form the Wylye Valley Group of Congregational Churches. During the 1950s the building began to show signs of needing attention. The work was completed in 1960, to mark the 100th anniversary of the chapel. The sum of £100 was raised by the congregation, to pay for structural repairs and external and internal renovations.
It is not known for certain where the chapel was, as it was demolished in the mid 19th century. It was replaced by a Congregational chapel built in 1860 at the east end of Teapot Street. The entire cost was met by Charles Jupe of Mere.
In 1951, following the resignation of the minister at Heytesbury and Sutton Veny, these villages were combined with Codford and Wylye to form the Wylye Valley Group of Congregational Churches. During the 1950s the building began to show signs of needing attention. The work was completed in 1960, to mark the 100th anniversary of the chapel. The sum of £100 was raised by the congregation, to pay for structural repairs and external and internal renovations.
A report written in 1979 stated that there were seven members and an average congregation of 10-15 people. The building was sound and only minor repairs and re-decoration were necessary. At this time the chapel was holding one service a month on the Sunday afternoon when there was no service at the parish church. The church and chapel enjoyed a good relationship. It was accepted that they may need to share premises in the future, but the aim was to keep the chapel running as long as possible. In 1998 there were concerns about the future as two of the leading members of the congregation were planning to move away. Three years later the building was also a concern, as the roof and the walls had deteriorated. With much sadness, the decision was taken to close the chapel and sell it, due to the small congregation and the lack of funds.