Chichester, Bethel Bible Christian chapel, Orchard Street

The first Bible Christian chapel in Chichester was in Orchard Street, just outside the north walls, opening in 1834. The writer of the account of the opening of its successor states that the building could only accommodate 40 to 50 people, but his predecessor as minister in 1851 had a different view, stating that there were sittings for 75. As William Hill lived next door, at 2, Orchard Terrace, he ought to have known. He reported that the morning congregation on 31st March, 1851, was 32, with 26 coming in the evening.

The chapel closed in 1865, when the congregation moved to Jubilee chapel in The Hornet, but apparently the building is still in use by another religious group, and a photograph may be viewed here

The current occupants would appear to host the Chichester Food Bank, continuing historic Methodist concerns.

Sources

TNA HO129/92/26

Bible Christian Magazine Vol. 45, 1866 p36