Beckbridge Methodist Chapel

Highley's Kitchens & Bedrooms, the current occupiers of the second building (Watermarked).

The Beckbridge Methodist Chapel is the name of two former places of worship within the Normanton Methodist Circuit. It ceased to exist as an entity in 1965 when it was sold off. The second building was located on Castleford Road against Haw Hill Park, earning it the local name "Castleford Road Methodist Chapel". The building is still standing and is currently occupied by Highley's Kitchens & Bedrooms.

History

As Primitive Methodism made its way into Normanton, creating a separate Circuit, the movement made plans for a number of chapels to be constructed to serve its societies located across the town. A society developed on the lower side of the town, referred to in the circuit as "Beckbridge".

First chapel

The need for a dedicated chapel to serve the society arose by 1884. It worked in two simultaneous processes, the acquisition of land and the construction of the building. Problems arose with the former due to the circuit not having the funding at the time to acquire the required space of land, with estimates of it costing 3s/6d per yard. Despite their reluctance, the construction of the building was still investigated. In September 1884, The Reverend Philip Thornton Yarker requested before the Normanton Local Board for permission to move a wooden schoolroom in Woodhouse to Beckbridge to be used as the chapel.

The chapel was finished by 1886, though expanding it proved difficult due to funding issues. While they had trouble finding money to expand the building, the chapel did receive a cupboard and several benches from the closed Altofts Common chapel. In 1894, however, funding continued to be an issue, and it was decided by the Circuit that the Beckbridge chapel was to be sold off and the society hold meetings in a private house instead.

Second chapel

Planning for a second chapel was agreed in 1901, and was completed in 1902. The building was given a marble tablet that year in memory of Mrs. T. Whiteley, one of the founders of the society before the original building's construction.

In 1931 the chapel was modified to use electric lighting. In the 1960s the building had begun to deteriorate due to a lack of funding to provide adequate repairs. In 1964 the chapel's trustees considered selling off the Beckbridge chapel and amalgamating into the nearby Hopetown Methodist Chapel. Hopetown's trustees turned down the offer. The following year, however, it was agreed across the Circuit that the local methodist chapels were to amalgamate with the Trinity chapel to form the Normanton Methodist Church.

Known ministers

• Revd. Campion Wright (?-1949-?)

Further reading

• The baptism register and Sunday school records dating from 1918-1965 can be found at the West Yorkshire Archive Service in Wakefield (Catalogue reference: NRA 14886 Normanton Circuit).
• Miscellaneous records relating to the Normanton Circuit in general from 1879-1929 can also be found at the archive (catalogue reference: NRA 14886 Normanton Circuit).

Bibliography

• Ronnie Aitchison, A History of the Normanton Methodist Circuit (Normanton, 2012).