Caistor Westgate Primitive Methodist chapel

The Primitive Methodist Ranters attracted an open-air congregation of up to 4,000 followers in Caistor in the early 19th century.

The notes with Keith Guyler’s photograph say that Caistor Westgate  Primitive Methodist chapel dates from 1839. However, in the Primitive Methodist magazine of 1838, John Smith dates Caistor Primitive Methodist chapel to Autumn 1836. He says there was a small audience at the opening but it was gradually increasing.

The first chapel was replaced in 1868 by a new chapel built in front of the old one.

The merging of the Methodist societies from the former Central Wesleyan chapel and the former Primitive Methodist chapel in Westgate, and the joint working of their respective trusts, took place between 1952 and 1956, prior to the closure of the former Primitive Methodist chapel in Westgate in 1966.

Westgate chapel was sold to Lincolnshire County Council in 1967 and initially was used as Westgate Youth Centre.  By 2011 it had become Caistor Arts & Heritage Centre, a ‘Not for Profit’ social enterprise created by £430,000 of funding from Big Lottery as one of the 6 selected projects under the Village SOS programme.

location: 119012

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine February 1838  pages 68-69