Almond Brook Primitive Methodist Church, Shevington Moor

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Almond Brook Primitive Methodist Church may have taken its name from the brook which runs behind the Church or from the nearby colliery of the same name.

During the ten years between 1859 – 1869, meetings were held in the homes of the local people. Most were held in (Old) Pepper Lane and the area known as ‘Almond Brook’. Once building a chapel was talked about, an application for building land was made to Sir Thomas Hesketh of Rufford Hall, the local landlord. He agreed to sell a piece of land and on Good Friday 2nd April 1869 the foundation stone was laid, and the Chapel opened in October of the same year.

This Chapel remained in use until 1910 when the present red brick church was built on adjoining land. The new church was opened by Miss Norris on Wednesday 10th August 1910. This is recorded in an inscription inside a book (see photograph) that was presented to her to mark the occasion by the Superintendent Minister of the Chorley Station, J. S. White.

The book, Christianity, its Nature and True by A. S. Peake is now at Englesea  Brook Museum. It was donated by Mrs Phoebe Dawson to the Rev’d. Steven Wild.

It is likely that the first chapel became the Sunday School and a school room. Later perhaps when the 1910 Church closed the original chapel was demolished and a house built in its place.

The church building we see today sits on the side of a busy road. It remained in use for over 70 years and finally closed for worship in the 1980’s. For over 10 years the buildings were empty and unattended. Finally in 2007 it became a veterinary practice with accommodation and remained so until quite recently (2021) when the veterinary practice closed. An application was made to turn it totally into accommodation and the whole building is now converted to a dwelling.