Sutton Bonington United Methodist Free Church Chapel was built in 1854. It had a cost of £400 and seated 150. A school costing £160 and seating 40 was added in 1894. A pipe organ had been presented to the chapel and an American organ bought for the school for £35. In 1924 The premises consisted of a chapel seating 200 with a schoolroom below. The chapel had closed by 1940
Sources
John Rylands Library University of Manchester, MAC Lawson, Methodist Church Buildings: Statistical returns including seating accommodation as at July 1st 1940 No 697, Loughborough Circuit
Leicestershire Record Office, N/M/207/394 UM property returns, 1924
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I think Philip’s contribution on Loughborough suggests a solution to the problem of the name on the maps. Because the reformers were determined not to be seen as not being a breakaway group they often referred to themsleves as Wesleyan Reform Branch shortened by those unfamiliar with the details to Wesleyans. There are several examples in the office notes attached to the 1851 returns. It is not difficult to see others following the same route
Very pleasing to see images added to my data so soon after publication. It looks to me as if the fenestration is much altered, probably for conversion to a residence. Can anyone able to make a site visit confirm (or demolish) my suspicion that the original windows were tall, relatively narrow and probably round top.
Thanks Philip: photos added. Can anyone confirm or deny the accuracy?
The location of this chapel is a bit of a mystery. Following Methodist Union the Loughborough Circuit published Notes respecting chapels, schools and other trust properties … presented to the Quarterly Meeting held on Saturday, 16th June, 1934.
The notes on Sutton Bonington Zion were as follows:
This society first met in the clubroom of the Anchor Inn. Much difficulty was experienced in obtaining land for a chapel, until several cottages were purchased in 1853 and the chapel erected.
The chapel was still in existence in 1940, having been transferred to the Castle Donington Circuit. The accommodation was now 96, with a schoolroom. It closed soon after, with the members joining Trinity, Sutton Bonington (the ex-Wesleyan chapel).
The mystery is that Zion appears on all maps as a Wesleyan chapel, despite there being another one in the village. It was located at grid reference SK506251.
I have provided the editors with a photograph of what I believe is the former Zion Chapel, although I may have totally misinterpreted the cartographic evidence.
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