Wesleyan Methodist Chapel Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School

The first Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in Ashton in 1781 and it was used as a preaching house, supplemented by services at the parish church of St Michael and All Angels. Members were expected to take communion in an Anglican church four times a year. In 1804 another chapel was built on the north side of what was then called New St. A more prominent chapel was then built on the same site in 1851. This was across the road, about 74-yards distant, from the Methodist New Connection Chapel of 1832 but, due to a schism, Wesleyans were not allowed to enter it.The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel of 1851 was demolished in the early 1960s.

Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School.

This disused Sunday School is located on Mill Ln between Fleet St and Crown St and it was built in 1877-78. It was connected with the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on Stamford St, which was about 300-yards distant.

The architect was Thomas Davenport Lindley of Henry Square, Ashton-under-Lyne, who also designed the Ashton-under-Lyne District Infirmary founded in 1861. The Sunday School was erected with Flemish-bond brick on a coursed rock-faced stone plinth with stone dressings and a slate roof. The front section of the building is 2-storeys high, 5-bays wide (the centre bay has three lights) by 2-bays deep. The gable tympanum also has three similar but smaller lights. Below these lights there is a stone string course inscribed, ‘WESLEYAN METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL’ and above there is a circular datestone inscribed, ‘AD. 1877’.

The Sunday School closed in 1958 following which the building was used by a tool manufacturer. Later, it became derelict but it is sufficiently important to be recognised as part of the town’s architectural character and heritage.