Janice Cox’s Shropshire’s non-Conformist chapels website here tells us that the chapel at Overley Hill belonging to the United Methodist Free Church was built in 1858 . The chapel was still in existence in 1906 but had closed by 1935 when it was de-registered as a place of worship. The chapel was demolished sometime after 1945.
The only oddity is that the Ordnance Survey maps of 1882 and 1902 label the chapel as Wesleyan rather than United Methodist Free Church . Janice believes this is simply an error by the Survey. “There definitely wasn’t another chapel in Overley Hill. I have rechecked all the sources & it definitely was UMFC.”
Location: Grid Ref SJ 60801 10819
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This chapel is listed in the Free Methodist manual of 1898 as one of theirs, in the Shrewsbury Circuit, so there is no doubt.
WELLINGTON JOURNAL, 20 November 1858, page 2.
[United Methodist Free Church]
“OPENING OF THE NEW CHAPEL AT OVERLEY HILL. The services connected with the opening of this very neat and commodious place of worship were held on Sunday last, on which occasion the Rev. J. Maysey preached in the morning, from 2nd Chron. vii, 16 … And in the evening, from Psalm lxiii. 2 … These sermons were appropriate and powerful, and the audiences very large and respectable. In the afternoon T. Brocas, Esq., preached a suitable sermon to a crowded congregation. The collections during the day were exceedingly handsome, and highly creditable to the friends connected with this cause.”
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WELLINGTON JOURNAL, Saturday 21 October 1899, page 7.
“OVERLEY HILL.
UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH. Sermons on behalf of home and foreign missions were preached in the above place of worship on Sunday by Mr. Burnett of Shrewsbury. On Tuesday evening the annual meeting was held, presided over by Mr. John Owen of Steeraway, and able and interesting addresses given by the Rev. S. Langdon, of Hadley (many years missionary in Ceylon), and Rev. J. E. Arnuld of Shrewsbury. Miss Nellie Heywood sang two hymns in Singhalese.”
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WELLINGTON JOURNAL, Saturday 14 January 1899, page 6.
“OVERLEY HILL.
UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH. Yesterday week the annual soiree in connection with the above was held, when … a large number of people came together, and ladies and gentlemen from Shrewsbury and Wellington rendered valuable help in executing a well-arranged programme, which made the effort quite as enjoyable and successful as in previous years …”.
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