Concreted congregational

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 7 Feb 2013

The old Congregational Chapel is now on the verge of total demolition. Its origins were established in 1816 by the Bristol Itinerant Society which formed a Sabbath School in the village. It enjoyed many years of service by using various premises but by 1841 it was decided to found a church in its own right. Local citizens helped to purchase the land and the building was completed by October 1845 by builder John Vincent. Wealthy local Congregationalist, Handel Cossham (later MP for East Bristol), helped to found a school adjoining the chapel in 1854. Pupil numbers rose over time, peaking at seventy in 1857; however, Cossham opened the British School rooms at Parkfield in 1862, causing a dramatic fall thereafter. The school carried on until the inevitable closure in 1892, not helped by the abolition of school fees. By the 1970s the chapel and school rooms were partly demolished, leaving this forlorn porch and short lengths of wall. The land has been prospectively bought by a private developer, who has applied to demolish the remaining structures and construct a new residence. See Image] for a different view or Image] for the crumbling porch.

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