Kirkland Bible Christian/Primitive Methodist Chapel, Cumberland

The Chapel was built as a Bible Christian place of worship by immigrant Cornish miners in 1878 at a cost of £280. Fifteen years later the congregation decided in view of their isolation from others of their denomination (the only other Bible Christian chapel in the locality was at Moor Row) to transfer to the Primitive Methodists. In 1913 the mines at Knott and Murton closed because the owners could not afford the machinery needed to combat flooding and the miners moved elsewhere. The chapel closed but reopened on February 1921. A building which had originally been a hut for munitions workers at Gretna was acquired to serve as a hall in the 1920s. It had 120 lettable and 80 free sittings. In 1940 it had 60 sittings on forms. There was a schoolroom. In 1980 there were no sittings in the chapel and one other rooms and in 1991 80 sittings and one other room.

Sources

Carlisle Library, 1A287, Methodist Property Statistics 1940, 1980, 1991; Kirkland Chapel 1877 – 1977

Cumbria Archive Service, Whitehaven DCM2/387