Armley Theaker Lane Bethesda Methodist New Connexion Chapel, Yorkshire

Armley, Bethesda MNC chapel was built in 1824. In 1851 it provided 30 free and 110 other sittings. This building seems to have been replaced by a larger chapel seating 400 by 1888. A block plan of that year shows a building whose central main entrance was approached by a shallow flight of steps. Adjoining the chapel was a Sunday school. It was about half the size of the chapel and set well back from the road. Was it, perhaps the 1824 chapel? This building was extended between 1888 and 1905. In 1893 the chapel was described as “a rectangular building of stone in the Italian style, with a plain parapet and porch”. By 1901 £4100 had been spent on the original construction and subsequent enlargement of the chapel, school, and three houses. A further £400 had been spent on purchasing an organ or other musical instrument. The chapel seated 450 and the school 600. By 1940 the chapel was reported as seating 600. There was a hall and eight other rooms. By 1952 the chapel had closed and the buildings were being used as an engineering works
Sources
J Woolfe, Yorkshire returns of the 1851 census of religious worship, Vol 2 West Riding, North No. 1475
List of the Methodist New Connection Chapels in England, 1861 p 149, Leeds Circuit
Methodist New Connexion: Returns of Trust Estates as presented in Special Schedules, January 1901 Leeds District, Leeds Circuit
Kelly’s Directory of Leeds, 1893, p 25
John Rylands Library University of Manchester, MAC Lawson Returns of Accommodation provided by Methodist Chapels and other Preaching Places, 1940/639 Leeds, Armley Circuit
OS town plan 1;500 1888 Yorkshire CCXVII,4,23
OS 25 inch Yorkshire CCXVII,4 1888 1906, 1915
OS SE263NE