The Early Years
Irthlingborough Methodists progressed from meeting in someone’s home in the early 19th century to gathering in a Meeting House, made from an old barn, in Chapel Lane, They managed to purchase this in 1808 for £60. Sixty years later, in 1865, they opened a newly built chapel on the High Street. This chapel, though larger than the original one, soon proved inadequate for their needs and in 1897, a much larger chapel, costing £2380, was opened on its present site in College Street. This new chapel had a gallery all round and could seat over 600 people. To provide accommodation for the Sunday School and other activities another building comprising, a large and a small hall, toilets and a kitchen was built behind the chapel and opened in 1960.
The Redevelopment of the Church in 2009
In 2009 a redevelopment scheme costing in the region of £380,000 was launched. The scheme was designed to create, within the 1897 building, a modern, flexible and comfortable worship area and to make the building more suitable for community use.
Before the Redevelopment
The church had remained virtually unchanged from the time it was built in 1897 until the beginning of 2009.
The original interior wall, close to the entrance, was removed and the worship area reduced in size to make room for a café area, a kitchen and two toilets with disabled access. The pulpit was also removed and the pews on the ground floor replaced by upholstered chairs. The floor of the worship area was covered with carpet tiles and new double glazed windows, an efficient heating system and effective lighting were installed. A large wooden cross was suspended at the front to the church and new sanctuary furniture purchased. In addition the tarmac around the church was renewed and the level changed to allow easy access for wheel chairs. New external lighting was also installed.
The redevelopment has meant that a large, bright adaptable building, near the centre of Irthlingborough, is now available to both the church and the community. The complex of buildings, comprising both the church and its adjoining halls, has been renamed the Wesley Centre and is increasingly used for a variety of activities.
Building Work in Progress in 2009
The original interior wall, close to the entrance, was removed and the worship area reduced in size to make room for a café area, a kitchen and two toilets with disabled access. The pulpit was also removed and the pews on the ground floor replaced by upholstered chairs. The floor of the worship area was covered with carpet tiles and new double glazed windows, an efficient heating system and effective lighting were installed. A large wooden cross was suspended at the front to the church and new sanctuary furniture purchased. In addition the tarmac around the church was renewed and the level changed to allow easy access for wheel chairs. New external lighting was also installed.
After the Redevelopment
The redevelopment has meant that a large, bright adaptable building, near the centre of Irthlingborough, is now available to both the church and the community. The complex of buildings, comprising both the church and its adjoining halls, has been renamed the Wesley Centre and is increasingly used for a variety of activities.
We hope that the cross and the four-panel embroidery, based on a satellite photograph of Irthlingborough, which hang at the front of church, speak clearly of our sincere desire to place Christ at the centre of the community. We hope too that everyone who enters our buildings finds a warm welcome, feels valued as a person and takes one step nearer to the Kingdom of God.