Hyde Central Methodist Church

Services in connection with the Wesleyan Methodism Society appear to have been conducted in Hyde around the year 1811. The services were held in various places, chiefly in private cottages. Early in 1815 a building at the corner of Cross St and Water St was secured. Later in 1821 a larger chapel was built on a plot of land facing Water St, Port St and Milk St. This was later enlarged to incorporate a day and Sunday school for the large increase in children of the rapidly growing cotton trade employees. By 1850 it was necessary to provide a larger building and a plot of land was acquired on Norfolk St.
The opening service at Norfolk St was held on Friday April 18th, 1851. After the opening of the new chapel, the Water St building was used entirely for Sunday and day school purposes.
Fast forward to the 1980's, when it was decided to demolish the old building on Norfolk St and re-build a modern church virtually on the same site. The old building was demolished in 1988 and literally hours later work started on the new church.
A large gathering of members assembled in the pouring rain to see two of the oldest members of the church, Mrs Mollie Dobbs and Mr John Charlton laying the foundation stone. The foundation stone was carved with a clock set at 8-45 pm, the supposed time of John Wesleys conversion to Methodism, along with the words " Praise and Thanksgivings", which appeared on the first Methodist church, built in Bristol in 1739.





The old building on Norfolk Street in the 1980's

Laying the foundation stone for the new church in 1988


The new church in 2012

HYDE CEMETERY CHAPEL UPDATE

Just to let everyone know that this lovely old building is on the demolition list and is due to come down soon.

If you would like to object to the demolition then PLEASE write to the following as soon as possible stating the address of the chapel which is Hyde Cemetery, Stockport Road, Hyde, Cheshire,SK14 5QN :-

Liz Jordan

Planning Dept

Tameside MBC

Council Offices

Wellington Road

Ashton Under Lyne

OL6 6DL

Maybe with a bit of people power we can help save this lovely building.

George Street Chapel.

Hyde Methodist Chapel (New Connexion), or George Street Chapel as it was more commonly known , stood on George Street just behind the bus station.
It was Built in 1858. 



In 1954 George Street united with Hyde former Wesleyan Methodist church and Hoviley Brow Church to form Hyde Central Methodist Church

Taken from "The Annals of Hyde"

In the year 1830 the (Methodist New) Connexion commenced work in Hyde, a small room in Cross Street being used for religious worship. In 1833, the Church had grown sufficiently to warrant the erection of a small chapel in George Street. The leading spirit in the movement about that time seems to have been a Mr. John Leech. A Sunday school was formed and this appears to have strengthened the church. Progress continuing, the large George Street Chapel was erected in 1858. The old schools were replaced in 1885 by the present spacious building adjoining the chapel.



Hyde Methodist Chapel


Like many other buildings in Hyde it was lost forever when the motorway came through the town, cutting it in half.


The memorial in Hyde cemetery.

Hyde Cemetery Chapel.

I heard that Tameside Council are going to demolish this beautiful building shortly - hope I heard wrong. It's the last of three churches that used to stand within the cemetery grounds. The top one was originally the Church of England building. the middle one (and last remaining) is the non conformist chapel and the bottom one was the Roman Catholic building.I'm not sure when the other two building were demolished but the following aerial map from the 1970's still shows them standing.