Derby Central Primitive Methodist chapel
St. Peter's Churchyard, Derby DE1 1NN
The former Central Primitive Methodist chapel is in the twilight zone on the edge of the central business district of Derby. In 2016 it is disused and branded as Quicksilver, having been most recently used as an amusement arcade. Google Street view shows it in the same state since August 2008. In the 1970s it had been converted into a furniture shop and later a bingo hall.
Central Primitive Methodist chapel was opened for worship in 1878 – there’s a note about the opening in the 1879 Primitive Methodist magazine. It is also restated in the January 1880 edition. The Primitive Methodist churches at Traffic Street and Kedleston Street were unable to meet the growing needs of central Derby and a Mission was established in the Athenaeum Rooms, Victoria Street for four years. During this time the Mission organised some of the largest Missionary and Sunday School gatherings ever held in the town. The result was the Central Church, opened in 1878 on the corner of St Peter’s Churchyard and Green Street. In design it was almost identical to the chapel in Kedleston Street.
You can read here an account of the development of Primitive Methodism in Derby from the Handbook of the 94th Primitive Methodist Conference, held in Derby in 1913.
Reference
Primitive Methodist magazine 1879 page 700
Primitive Methodist magazine January 1880 page 58
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Comments above refer to its similarity to The Kedleston Street PM chapel. This is because after the opening of Kedleston Street a similar chapel was commissioned from the same architect W Giles.
To clarify on the question of the two chapels. One was the Greenhill Wesleyan Chapel that was the head of the Greenhill Wesleyan Circuit formed after the original Wesleyan circuit headed by the King Street chapel was split. The other chapel which is the one in the pictures was always called the Central church and was a PM chapel and was the head of the Derby Three Circuit of PM. This was the first to close and the congregation was united with the ex Wesleyan chapel which was renamed “Greenhill Central” to reflect both chapels and retain the PM name in part. I understand that there was some debate as to whether the name should be Greenhill Central or Central Methodist Church Greenhill! The PM chapel had certainly closed by 1962 as it does not appear in the 1963 Statistical Report so closure was probably late 1950s -early 1960s. The Wesleyan chapel now called Greenhill Central closed in the late 1980s. Both buildings still survive in commercial use.
In answer to Mr Oxley’s question, there is indeed evidence.
Derby was mapped in some considerable detail shortly after this chapel was opened. The appropriate sheet of the map is Derby – Derbyshire L.13.2 Surveyed: 1881, Published: 1883. which may be viewed at https://maps.nls.uk/view/229914606 . It clearly shows that the chapel on the corner of St. Peter’s Churchyard (the street) and Green Lane was Central PM (seating 600). The Wesleyan Green Hill chapel was across the street, abutting onto St. Peter’s Churchyard (the burrial ground).
The history of the Wesleyan chapel may be found at https://calmview.derbyshire.gov.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D4134
and a photo may be found at
https://picturethepast.org.uk/image-library/image-details/poster/DRBY005480/posterid/DRBY005480.html
It is pleasing to report that the refurbishment is now mearing completion. What was probably the original vestibule is now a hairdressing salon and there is a licensing application pending for the rest of the building. Gone now are the disfigurements shown in Christopher Hill’s image of 2016 . Revealed is the original brickwork in pristine condition (images 2-4) . It is now possible to appreciate the impact which the chapel with its double height entrance must have made when new. It is also possible to appreciate the decorative features such as the window openings with red columns topped with ionic capitals supporting arches of red and white masonry (image 5) and the terra cotta decoration in the pediment, above the gallery level windows, and below the middle level side windows (images 4 and 6)
Sources
Site visits October 2013, 3 June 2018, and 29.10.2022
I am puzzled. In 1940 there were two Methodist chapels in this locality:
Green Hill (St Peters Churchyard) seating 600, ex Wesleyan
Central (Green Lane) seating 550, ex Primitive
By 1970 one of these had closed and the remaining chapel was called Green Hill Central (St Peter’s Churchyard) seating 600. Given the correspondence of name and capacity I was inclined to think that this was the ex Wesleyan which had incorporated the name of its former neighbour. Is there other evidence that would confirm David Leese’s conclusion that the opposite was the case. For example, do plans exist to confirm the names of the two buildings when the first closure took place?
Rev Isaac Brentnall, minister 1889-1901.
Newspaper cuttings from Derby Daily Telegraph 24 June 1901 telling of departure from Derby Central Church.
https://search.findmypast.com/bna/viewarticle?id=BL%2F0000327%2F19010624%2F005%2F0002&transcriptid=BL_0000327_19010624_005_46
Editor’s note: This needs a login to Findmypast to view
This chapel was in its final years part of the then Derby South circuit, and known as and listed on the plan as Greenhill Central.
It did not close for worship till some time in the latter part of the twentieth century remaining on the plan till the 1980’s.
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