Birkenshaw Bradford Road United Free Methodist Chapel

Birkenshaw United Free Methodist Chapel was built of stone brick in 1846. It was situated on the west side of Bradford Road on an ample plot planted with trees and served by several footpaths. Little had changed by 1905 but by 1915 a substantial Sunday school had been built behind the chapel. In 1940 the chapel estate consisted of the chapel which seated 600 in pews, a school hall and six other rooms. In 1970 it was reported that the chapel had been built in 1905 and seated 262 and the school seated 416. There were eleven other rooms. It seems that either the data had been confused or the functions of the two buildings had been exchanged. The chapel continues to be used as a Methodist place of worship
Sources
Free Methodist Manual: London: Andrew Crombie, 1899 p 265 Birstall Circuit
John Rylands Library University of Manchester, MAC Lawson Returns of Accommodation provided by Methodist Chapels and other Preaching Places, 1940/297 Birkenshaw and Gomersal Circuit
The Methodist Church Department of Chapel Affairs, Statistical Returns, Part 1, 1972 Returns made 06.01.1970 25/16 27/29 Birstall and Birkenshaw Circuit
OS 25 inch Yorkshire CCXVII.14 1892, 1905, 1915