Midsomer Norton Wesleyan Methodist chapels

1775 Midsomer Norton Wesleyan Methodist chapel after it had passed to the Salvation Army

provided by June Swift

the 1775 Midsomer Norton Wesleyan Methodist chapel was sited to the right of the original village school which still stands, now as a hairdresser's

June Swift March 18 2022

1859 Midsomer Norton Wesleyan Methodist chapel

June Swift March 18 2022

1859 Midsomer Norton Wesleyan Methodist chapel

from a 1913 postcard

1859 Midsomer Norton Wesleyan Methodist chapel viewed from the site of the first chapel

June Swift March 18 2022

The current Methodist church in High Street, Midsomer Norton (BA3 2DR), is the former Wesleyan Methodist chapel.  It opened in 1859 and was the successor to a 1775 chapel at the junction of Rackvernal Road and Gas Lane.  Prior to that, the Wesleyan society met in the cottage of  Joseph Fry, a weaver.

Building the first chapel was not straightforward: local clergy felt threatened by the surge in non-conformist enthusiasm and opposed the building – including removing some of the building stone and using it to renovate the road.

You can read an illustrated history of the society on the Midsomer Norton Methodist Church website here .