Darlington, Paradise Wesleyan Methodist Association chapel

W.H.D. Longstaffe, writing in 1857, described this chapel as follows:

“In 1840, a handsome chapel was built in Paradise Row, by “the Wesleyan  Methodist Association”. It will seat from 700 to 800 persons, and has convenient vestries and spacious school rooms connected with it; in the latter of which a flourishing Sabbath school is conducted, consisting of upwards of 450 scholars. The premises were erected at a cost of about £2700.”

In a footnote Longstaffe explained that: “The society worshipping in this chapel (known as the Wesleyan Methodist Association) withdrew from the Wesleyan Methodists in 1835, adopting a liberal form of church government, which they regard as being more fully in accordance with the principles of the New Testament. In matters of Christian doctrine, and modes of worship, there is no difference between them and the body from which they separated.”  Which is a good way of describing the division.

Just as the above was published, the Wesleyan Methodist Association metamorphosed into the United Methodist Free Churches, and Paradise continued in use as a UMFC, United Methodist, and Methodist chapel until closing in 1971.

The chapel was designed by John Green of Newcastle, and in 1940 could still seat 600. Just before closure, in 1970, the accomodation was calculated to be 500 in the chapel, and 294 in the Sunday School.

A chapel which lasted 130 years must have some stories to be told, and we would be pleased to receive any further information.

Paradise Row later became Coniscliffe Road, and the Darlington Echo published a piece about the church, with a photograph. The photograph below shows the chapel in 1942.

Unfortunately a number of Ordnance Survey sheets, at all scales, converge at the point where the chapel was built, with the result that the plan is missing from this account.

References:

Longstaffe, W.H.D. History and antiquities of the Parish of Darlington (1857) p253

Statistical returns … as at July 1^st 1940. Manchester: Methodist Church, Department of Chapel Affairs, 1947

Statistical returns 1970. Manchester: Methodist Church, Department of Chapel Affairs, 1972