Village Chapels

This page covers the history of village chapels past & present, if you have any information that we could use please contact us.

Stanley Lane Ends Primative Methodist

Opened in 1874 this Chapel stood on the junction of Chapel street and Long Causeway. In 1906 the Chapel replaced the old organ with one from Morley Methodist Church. The Chapel closed in the 1970s and demolished in the 1980s. The site is occupied today by a large detached house.

Photo taken 1906

The organ in the photo was taken from Morley Methodist Church

Lane Ends Chapel 1981

Photo courtesy of John Shaw

Lee Mount Wesleyan Chapel & Sunday school

The building was built in 1874 to replace the much earlier Wesleyan Chapel at Lee Moor. A Sunday school was also added on the same site (to the left). When the chapel building was demolished due to mining subsidence the Sunday school was converted into a Methodist Chapel to replace the old building at Lane Ends which was in a poor state. The old chapel site at Lee Mount is now occupied by a bungalow.

Photo courtesy of Christine Ineson

In this Secondary Mordern sports day photo you can see the Chapel & Sunady school

The Sunday school was converted into a Methodist Chapel to replace the one at Lane Ends. This photo is of the opening ceremony

The converted Sunday school today

Stanley Ferry Chapel

This Chapel was a Methodist free Church built in 1881. In the early 1990s the building was converted into flats, keeping its original apperance. When the Chapel was built locals paid for a brick, on which their initials were put and then the brick was used in the building of the Chapels roadside wall. When the Chapel was being converted to flats the wall was taken down, the bricks cleaned up and given back to the familys whos reletives had bought the bricks over 100 years before.

Stanley Ferry’s “Do it yourself” Sunday school

Plans to build a Sunday school on the Ferry Lane Methodist Church started out in the 1920s, but it was not until the 1968 that the single storey flat roofed building, some 40ft square was completed. Built almost entirely by the labour of church members the Sunday school was opened by Mrs Ada Lakin, who was at the time the oldest member of the congregation, aged 81. Built at a cost of £2,000 the building cost a fraction of what it would have if built by professional tradesmen. The building contained a main hall, kitchen, primary school and two sets of toilets and cloakrooms with large windows and was decorated throughout with bright pastel colours. Mr E. Dodd, secretary of the Church Trust, who with Mr Mcavoy (son in law of Mrs Lakin) were in overall charge of the job during the construction, which had taken some six years. Rev F O. Hutchings spoke at the time of the long struggle in getting the work done, but praised local people for their help. One local in particular, a builder, Mr R A Bagnall supplied all the supervision and know how through out the project and managed to obtain necessary materials for the work. The Sunday school was dedicated by Rev W. H. Dixon, superintendent of the Wakefield Methodist Circuit, and a thanksgiving service was led by Rev R. J. Hall, who was Minister at the church during the 1940s. After a special tea prepared by the ladies of the church, there was a concert by Sharlston Male Voice Choir.

Left to right

The Rev. J. Hall, the Rev E.H. Foreshaw (Vicar of Stanley). Mr E. Dodd (Secretary of the Church Trust), the Rev F.O. Hutchings, and the Rev W.H. Dixon watch as Mrs A. Lakin opens the door of the new Sunday School.

The Zion Chapel Aberford Road

Built in 1876 this Chapel is still in use today. The church on Aberford Road began its life in a small building given by Mr James Thomas Fleck of Stanley Lodge, a local mill owner in 1874. Subsequently, he gave 3,000 yards of land and £1,000 to build a new church and the present building was opened two years later. The first minister was the Rev C. Bonham. In the mid 1970s the Chapel marked its centenary with a special service; the preacher was Mr R. Bushell of Leeds, who had conducted the churches anniversary services for many years. In 1981 the Zion Hall began to be used for Roman Catholic Sunday masses when the parish was permitted the use of the building's cellar. This continued until 1990 when Lee Mount Methodist Church began to be used. The Zion Chapel is now known as Zion Christian Centre, and is a lively church fellowship of Christian believers, open and welcoming to all. Another interesting point to note is that Mr G. H. Duxbury was the churches organist for more than 50 years up to his death in the 1970s.

The Schulze Organ

Mr J H Fleck of Stanley Hall, owned a spinning mill and gave the organ, a rare Schulze instrument to the chapel. The renowned organ builder was founded about 1688 by J F Schulze in Paulinzelle, near Leipzig. The business lasted five generations until the death of the last owner, Heinrich Edmund Schulze (1824-78). I believe that Fleck met Edmund Schulze in England and ordered this house sized organ for installation in Stanley Hall sometime in the 1870s at a cost of around £200. Fleck donated it to the Zion Chapel. George Duxbury, the organist for many years, was a painter and decorator, and I had the pleasure of knowing him and trying out the organ about 50 years ago. Around 1996, the new occupants of the chapel unfortunately disposed of this rare organ. I believe it is now in the church of St James the Apostle, Grafton Underwood, Northants. A great loss to Stanley. I also recall Miss Humphrey, a stalwart of the chapel and member of the market gardening family in Stanley. Information courtesy of John Shaw.

Photos Courtesy of David Dixon

Church Pastor

Bottomboat Chapel

A look back at over 100 years of Bottomboat Chapel

In 1874 four local men, Joseph and John Laycock, Michael Whiles and Simon Copley joined with friends from Altofts, Castleford, Wakefield and Drighlington under the leadership of Rev Jonathan Ayrton to buy the land in Bottomboat from the Holmes family and a Mr Sykes. The purchase price was £69 5s. The trustees and members worked during the ensuing years to repay the money lent to them by many local people to build the chapel.

Founder members of the chapel

By 1896 the trustees were able to pay £3 for the installation of gas for lighting (replaced by electricity in 1951). In 1901 the Chapel was granted a licence for marriages and by 1913 the Sunday school buildings were built. The original trustees served at the chapel for many years, followed by there descendents, some of who still had connections with the chapel up to its closure. Notable service was given by Mr W Sampson; who was organist and choirmaster for over 30 years, and Mr A Tate who was trust secretary for 26 years.

Centenary celebrations 1974

If you speak to older folk in Bottomboat they will tell you of Sunday school field days in Arundel’s field, the chapel choir, anniversaries and of outings to the seaside. A well remembered feature of the early days was the chapel tea, organised by the woman folk, the highlight being ham tea for the price of six pence. At that time it was normal to buy a 20lb ham, as well as beef, such was the popularity. As with most chapels in the area Bottomboat sadly closed leaving the building empty for many years. The building was badly damaged after an arson attack and had to be demolished several years ago.

The derelict building before it was destroyed by fire

Stanley Institute

Roman Catholic Masses in Stanley began just after the end of the Second World War. They were celebrated in the Village Institute and parents attending mass there were encouraged to send their children to St. Austin's school for a Catholic education. The Roman Catholic Mass moved in 1981 to the Zion Chapel.

More to follow