Leeds Ventnor Street Methodist New Connexion chapel (1872)

As can be seen from the Ordnance Survey map, Ventnor Street was built close to where many of the inhabitants probably worked. The Methodist New Connexion originally built a chapel-schoolroom in 1856. This is the building next to the chapel.  This cost nearly £1,000, of which only half had been raised. As with many Methodist chapels the congregation found themselves in considerable debt. In this case, there were only thirty members at the start. Numbers repidly grew, however, and by 1870 the debt had been paid. The numbers had increased so much that the members decided to rebuild, and on 24th February 1872 the foundations of a new chapel were laid. Having laid the stones, in bad weather, 300 attendees reapired to the schoolroom for “a substantial tea”. Fuelled by this, they then attended a public meeting.

The account of the stone laying goes on to inform us that “The walls will be of brick with stone dressings. In form, the chapel is a nave, with transepts. It is 56 feet long, 37 fett and 6 inches acroos the nave and 53 feet and six inches across the transepts. There is a gallery arounf three sides, and accopmmodation is provided for 520 audults. The entrance of the cahpel faces Ventnor Street”

The architects were Hill and Swann, of Leeds and Sheffield, who built many Methodist chapels.

This chapel was described in 1894  as “built in 1872-73, close to the old chapel, erected in 1856 [it] is an edifice in the Early Geometric style, and consists of nave, transcepts and an eastern porch: it has 500 sittings; the old chapel, which adjoins to the north, is used for vestries and schools.”

A photograph of the building towards the end of its life in the 1970s may be found here

References:

Methodist New Connexion Magazine 1872 pp302-305

Directory of the Clothing District of Yorkshire, 1894 p. 597