Llwynrhydowen Unitarian Chapel, Llandysul, Ceredigion

Friends of George Street might like to follow the restoration of other chapels around the country.
An HLF grant has been awarded to a chapel in West Wales that has connections with Dylan Thomas.
Report on BBC web site

An 18th Century chapel where the great-uncle of poet Dylan Thomas preached is set to be restored to its former glory.
Llwynrhydowen Unitarian chapel, a Grade II-listed building near Llandysul, Ceredigion, as been awarded £285,000 in grant funding for renovation.
The project will also develop a virtual museum recounting the story of Nonconformity in Wales.
It will also be included in a new faith trail leaflet telling the story of Unitarianism.
Yr Hen Gapel (The Old Chapel) was the first Arminian chapel in Wales when opened in 1733 and is known as 'the mother chapel' of Welsh Unitarianism.

FOGS Visit to Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism

Today the Friends of George Street visited the Museum of Primitive Methodism at Englesea Brook Chapel, Cheshire.
It was a frosty morning at -3 degrees but we had a warm welcome by Dr Jill Barber the Project Director.

The new wheelchair access constructed at Englesea Brook.

The front door into the chapel with the gallery above. 

View from the pews in the gallery with the pulpit and harmonium. 

My Methodist History

We have registered the George Street Chapel Project with the new My Methodist History web site.

The My Methodist History website was launched in December 2012 as part of a community archive network supported by the Methodist Church. The site is developed and edited by volunteers.

The aim of the project is to share information and research about every aspect of Methodist history: its early development, nineteenth-century splits and sub-denominations, overseas mission and life post re-union in 1932.

Primitive and Wesleyan Methodism are covered by the sister websites, My Primitive Methodist Ancestors and My Wesleyan Methodist Ancestors (coming soon).

We hope this will bring our project to the attention of a wider audience, in particular methodists, or those who are  search for their ancestors where there is Methodism in their family.

Visit to Goodshaw Chapel, Lancashire

A field trip was taken to Goodshaw Chapel today, to look at how English Heritage have restored, maintain and display the only non-conformist chapel in their guardianship.
Goodshaw Chapel was originally built by its congregation in 1760 when Baptists united with Wesleyan Methodists. In 1864 a new chapel was built on the main road at the bottom of the hill in Goodshaw and this one gradually fell into disrepair. In 1975 it was recognised as a unique survival of an early nonconformist chapel retaining mainly of its internal features.
It was taken into the guardianship of the Department of the Environment and a full restoration scheme was completed in 1984.
Goodshaw is between Rawtenstall and Burnley, Lancashire.
Admission is free, but you must make an appointment with the English Heritage key holder.

Front entrance to the chapel.

Looking towards the pulpit from the back of the gallery.

The candelabra.
The pews in the gallery were left unpainted.

The gallery front with clock.

Research by English Heritage showed that the gallery fronts had once been painted blue.
Just like at George Street Chapel.

'Bats' provided for visitors to aid self-guided tours around the chapel.

The external stone walls have 'tipped' stones to help shed the rainwater and prevent water draining collecting and drawing damp into the fabric of the chapel. The walls have a strange 'saw-tooth' appearance. 

At least Age UK Oldham does not have to maintain a churchyard at George Street Chapel!