Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Purton
embers holding meetings in a converted carpenter's shop and attracting congregations of around 100. A movement to build a chapel began in that year and in 1869 the Wesleyan Chapel Committe gave permission to build one at Play Close. Little is known of this early chapel, which was very small and tightly packed for services. It was decided to build a larger chapel on the same site and the existing chapel was pulled down and services were held in the Working Men's Institute while the new chapel was built.
The memorial stone was laid on 5th July 1882 and the chapel built in Bath stone by Thomas Barrett of Swindon. It was 42 feet long by 28 feet wide, was 15 feet high and would seat 300. The cost was £460 and the chapel opened on 11th October 1882. Later cottages near the chapel were purchased and some were converted for use as a Sunday School. The Sunday School was well attended and well run and other activities, such as a Ladies Sewing Circle, were popular for many years. The chapel flourished until the 1950s and early 1960s but then numbers began to decline, as was the case with the Primitive Methodists.
The memorial stone was laid on 5th July 1882 and the chapel built in Bath stone by Thomas Barrett of Swindon. It was 42 feet long by 28 feet wide, was 15 feet high and would seat 300. The cost was £460 and the chapel opened on 11th October 1882. Later cottages near the chapel were purchased and some were converted for use as a Sunday School. The Sunday School was well attended and well run and other activities, such as a Ladies Sewing Circle, were popular for many years. The chapel flourished until the 1950s and early 1960s but then numbers began to decline, as was the case with the Primitive Methodists.
It was decided that one Methodist church was sufficient for Purton and in September 1969 the Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists were united. A recommendation that the Play Close chapel should be used for worship led to an extensive rebuilding and modernisation of that chapel, including demolition of the cottage. During this time the united Methodist congregations met in the Upper Close chapel. The Play Close chapel was re-opened in March 1973 after renovations costing £9,906 and from then onwards was the home of the Purton Methodist Church.