Gosberton United Methodist Chapel, Lincolnshire

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Now the Co-op Store

D Secker

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The ex Wesleyan can be seen in the background

D Secker

For a time, Reformers had control of the Wesleyan chapel in Gosberton, but were deprived of this in 1852 when, by a vote, they lost majority management of the building. They seceded and met in a house near the Five Bells Inn until acquiring their own place of worship.

The first chapel on Church Street, a “small square building”, opened in 1854 when the preacher was Rev James Everett, author of The Village Blacksmith. The Reformers re-stated their aim: “This place is to be free from Conference control.” For a short time it was known as the Wesleyan Reform, and then Free Methodist, becoming a member of the Spalding UMFC Circuit,

In 1907 a new chapel was opened on High Street, designed and constructed by W Jepson of Spalding at a cost of £670. Here was seating for 200 and a schoolroom for 140, with a sliding partition separating the two main rooms.

In that year the (national) United Methodist Church was formed and this chapel was the first to be new-built in South Lincolnshire with the UMC designation. It remained in the Spalding circuits pre and post-union.

As with many villages, two Methodist churches could not be sustained. Members joined forces with the ex-Wesleyan in 1952, eventually selling the chapel for £300 to a local electrical firm in 1955.

The building is extant (but altered) and for a number of years has been the Co-op food store.