Zoar Baptist Chapel, Aldbourne

In 1833 a house was licensed for Thomas Barrett, the son of a local fustian weaver, and four others. In about 1841 cottages in Back Lane were converted into Little Zoar Chapel. Baptists do not seem to have attracted such large congregations as Methodists in Aldbourne and in 1851 an afternoon congregation of 87 and an evening one of 40 were recorded. The New Zoar Chapel was built in 1868 to replace the old one. Despite this the chapel was probably in decline from the 1870s and in 1894 William Taylor left £120 for a minister to officiate there once a month. There seem to have been few services and in 1904 it was reported that only 2 or 3 services had been held in the last 6 years. The chapel was sold in 1914 and demolished at some time after 1931. The chapel burial ground survives in Back Lane and a Viburnum Bodnantense was planted by the gate in memory of the writer Ida Gandy, who spent her last years in the village.