Donington Primitive Methodist chapel

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1903 Donington Wesleyan Methodist chapel

Keith Guyler 1991

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1903 Donington Wesleyan Methodist chapel

Keith Guyler 1995

Donington Primitive Methodist Society dates from 1832. The first Donington Primitive Methodist chapel was built in 1835 on Church Lane. On Google Street View in 2009 it is in use as a classroom for the Thomas Cowley High School.  Pictures and further details are on the Lincolnshire Heritage Gateway website.

I have no idea why, but underneath the 1834 Donington Primitive Methodist chapel is a cistern which can hold 20 hogsheads of water. We are told this in an account by John Rich of the opening of the chapel (spelled Donnington) in the Primitive Methodist magazine of 1835.

Opening services were held on 25/12/1834 and 28/12/1834 and were conducted by W Pentry J Middleton W Paddison.

The new chapel seated 120 people.  At the time of the chapel opening, the society had 40 members but the chapel was built high enough for a gallery to be added when needed

The 1885 Primitive Methodist magazine contains a note of the building of a new Primitive Methodist schoolroom at Donnington.

The 1835 chapel served until 1901 when it was replaced by a new chapel in the High Street.  This closed in the 1940s and has since been demolished.

Keith Guyler’s photographs show a 1903 chapel on Church Street which is still there converted to a house.  Although Mr Guyler labelled it a Primitive Methodist, it is actually the Wesleyan chapel.

location 1835 chapel: TF 212357

location 1901 chapel: TF 210357

Reference:

Lincolnshire Heritage Gateway website accessed September 30th 2015

Primitive Methodist magazine 1835 page 392

Primitive Methodist magazine 1885 page 59