Great Billing Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1841.The seating capacity boxes were left unfilled in 1851 but it was reported in 1873 to be 135. This figure had fallen to 80 by 1891 and then rose to 99 until 1931 after which it rose to 130 in 1940 when all the sittings were on forms. There were no other rooms. The chapel continues to be used as a Methodist place of worship.
The chapel was built on a very restricted site with its south wall shared with another building and the east side abutting directly onto the highway. The entrance was in the gable end but the original structure has been obscured by a modern vestibule. The chief architectural feature is the two Romanesque windows in the east side which have yellow masonry arches with projecting keystones. There was a similar window in the north wall which had to be bricked up to accommodate the new vestibule. A very similar windows may be seen at Nether House (Ullermire) in Cumberland (built 1833. They too are in a side wall abutting the highway.
Sources
The National Archives,1851 ecclesiastical census HO129/168/1/1/11 (Northampton Union)
Northamptonshire Record Office, NMC12, 13, 14, 453, 454, Gold Street Circuit trust schedules, 1911-1959
John Rylands Library University of Manchester, MAC Lawson Returns of Accommodation provided by Wesleyan Methodist Chapels and other Preaching Places, Northampton, Gold Street and Queens Road Circuits 1873/69, 1891/109 1901/ 106, 1911/101, 1931/104
John Rylands Library University of Manchester, MAC Lawson Returns of Accommodation provided by Methodist Chapels and other Preaching Places, 1940/680, Northampton Gold Street Circuit
Northampton Methodist Church website: www.methodist-churches-orthampton.org.uk/index.php/our-churches/slideshow
Site visit 12.8.2021
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