Blacker Hill Primitive Methodist Chapel

Wentworth Rd, Blacker Hill. Barnsley S74 0RE

Photograph 1. Blacker Hill PM Chapel photographed in September 1992
Photograph 2 taken in 1993
Photograph 3 taken August 2023 by E&R Pearce
Photograph 4. The Rose Window and surrounding stone work
Photograph 5. taken August 2023 by E&R Pearce
Photograph 6. taken August 2023 by E&R Pearce
Photograph 7 taken August 2023 by E&R Pearce
Photograph 8 taken September 1981 of Barrow Colliery from Blacker Hill.
Photograph 9. taken February 2023 by E&R Pearce
Photograph 10. taken February 2023 by E&R Pearce.

Mr. Robert Smith writes in the Primitive Methodist Magazine of February 1860 about the laying of the foundation stone at Blacker Hill Primitive Methodist Chapel in the Barnsley Circuit. The stone was laid on December 3rd 1859  by Mr. Martin Guest who gave the land, drew up the plans and supervised the building  of the Chapel. After ‘the laying of the foundation stone service’, a ‘tea meeting’ for 150 persons was held in Mr. Barwick’s clubroom.  It was ‘a cold damp day in December’

In 1874 a Chapel was built/rebuilt a little further along the Wentworth Road to replace the 1860 Chapel building. (Photographs 1 &2)

In 1918 a Sunday School/Hall, which also would have been Primitive Methodist was built nearer to Woodhead Drive along Wentworth Road.

On the Google street maps of 2009/2011 there is a Methodist Chapel being used for worship (the 2009 map shows a group, including a Minister, waiting for a funeral cortege to arrive). Was this the 1918 Sunday School/Hall? Photograph 3 shows three of the nine foundation stones which could have been laid in 1918.

In 1992 the Society moved out of the 1874 Chapel into the ‘Schoolroom’ building to continue worship. The records of the 1874 Chapel ceased  in 1992 and were archived.

The 1874 Chapel building was demolished in 1994 and the during the demolition the  ‘Rose Window’ and surrounding stonework was lovingly and carefully removed (Photograph 4). It was safely stored, ready to be placed back on the site of the demolished chapel building.

The Blacker Hill Methodist Society, worshiping in the ‘Schoolroom’ building      (Photograph 5) finally closed in 2013 and the building and land were sold. The 1918 building laid empty and unused. In 2015 you could have bought the building, complete with planning permission for one house for £75,000. In 2017 the building was purchased and turned into a pleasing dwelling. The 1874 chapel land was reborn as a Memorial Garden for those locally who lost their lives during WW1 and one person in WW2. (Photograph 6 & 7).

The ‘Rose Window’ and surrounding stonework was again carefully removed from where it was and relaid on a disused railway embankment approximately 300-350 meters away in the nearby valley bottom.  Photograph 8 shows how far away the ‘Rose Window’ was taken to be relaid.

In 2023, it was sad to see that the undergrowth was slowly taking over the ‘Rose Window’. Photograph 9 & 10.

WHY was the ‘Rose Window’ and surrounding stonework removed and saved during demolition of the 1874 chapel building to be rebuilt and relaid first on the cleared chapel area in 1994, then again in 2013 taken up and relaid in a disused railway cutting in the valley? Not an easy job. It would have been an expensive undertaking.

Englesea Brook Chapel & Museum plus Elaine and Richard Pearce would like to acknowledge their thanks for the generous help and kindness given by the Barnsley Archives & Local Studies for pictures of Blacker Hill Primitive Methodist Chapel, and the Archivist of the Sheffield District of the Methodist Church Mr. John Tranter, for the historical information on Blacker Hill PM Chapels.

The updating of Blacker Hill PM Chapel and the 2023 photographs are by Elaine & Richard Pearce.

There is a picture of  a memorial made from a window saved from the earlier chapel on the geograph website.


Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine February 1860 page 117

 

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