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Guide Post

Sheepwash Bank Primitive Methodist Chapel

Last Updated:

20 Jan 2025

Guide Post

This is a

Chapel, Place of Worship

55.160958, -1.603060

Founded in 

1907

Current status is

Demolished

Designer (if known):

T Tulip

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Now a set of houses

Coming up Sheepwash Bank towards Guide Post we find the site of the village Primitive Methodist Chapel - now occupied by that set of terraced houses. The terrace in the foreground (with that bay window) can be on both shots.

This is a really very pretty old chapel, sadly closed in 1982 so very much consigned to the memory of the congregation. It opened during the Christmas of 1907, replacing an older chapel from 1861 in the village that went to be took on by the Salvation Army then a cinema.

It was built to accommodate the larger congregation after great growth in the settlement with a capacity of 270 seated persons, with a schoolroom for 250 with the costs paid by subscribers and rent for the old building. It featured 3 seperate classrooms, a ministers vestry and a combined kitchen and skullery all contain in lovely red brick and dressed stone. They were featured underneath the chapel, where an old clay pit once stood.

Mr T Tulip was the architect of the build, who was a prolific designer in this area as the chief architect of the Urban District Council. He oversaw the design of many Aged Miners Homes, commercial stores and Co-Operative branches (inc. that at Bedlington).

Despite Bedlington Methodists piling in £4000 to renovate Sheepwash Bank church, it was demolished around the 80s sadly.

Listing Description (if available)

The Ordnance Survey depicts the chapel across these plans from 1922 (composited with the 1897 map) and from 1938. From the early 20th century Sheepwash Bank was well populated with terraces and well built houses between the Anglers Arms and the Shakespeare - it was only in the late 20s and 30s that Welbeck Road was constructed. The chapel was also the most northern building in Guide Post, with the Wesleyan Chapel standing on Front Street close to the original Prim. You may also notice that as the population grew, allotment gardens popped up to keep sufficiently feed the local population - such was encouraged back in the day.

Winding back time now to the 1860s when this plan was surveyed. The triangular settlement had already been completed, and the Shakespeare stood as the northernmost structure. A Primitive Methodist Chapel did stand here at this time, but is unlabelled so we cannot be sure of its exact location. Sheepwash Bank featured a couple of terraces alongside allotments.

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The red brick terrace now occupies the site of the Primitive Methodist Chapel. Taken in December 2024

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Photograph from a similar angle of the chapel in the 40s or 50s. Original source unknown.

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A view of the front elevation, date & photographer unknown.

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