Englesea Brook Museum of Primitive Methodism

The Victorian chapel museum in the picturesque village of Englesea Brook, located in an attractive conservation area near Crewe, epitomises the change and rapid growth in Methodism in the century after John Wesley's death.

First Methodism split from the Anglican Church. Then internal divisions over doctrine led to several new Methodist movements and new denominations being established. With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, Methodism flourished and each denomination embarked on chapel building; often resulting in the different denominations building their chapels only a few hundred yards apart in the same town or village.

Englesea Brook Chapel was an early 'Primitive' Methodist chapel (1828). Today, it houses the Museum of Primitive Methodism and it is here that the grave of one of founders of the Primitive Methodist movement, Hugh Bourne, is to be found.

NB William Clowes is buried in Hull General Cemetery, with other prominent 'Prims' such as Charles Kendall, George Lamb, Parkinson Milson, Henry Hodge, William Beckworth, Jane Holliday and Elizabeth Hodge, in the "Primitive Methodist Corner". For more information and image, see:

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40007103

In 1807, Hugh Bourne, a Staffordshire wheelwright, organised an open air 'camp meeting' at nearby Mow Cop, after being impressed by accounts of such events in the United States. Fearing the revolutionary potential of any movement born in America, the Wesleyan Methodist Conference (the governing body of John Wesley's Methodists) banned such gatherings and, in the course of the next four years, those Wesleyan Methodists who continued to promote camp meetings were expelled from membership. They went on to join other disaffected revivalists to form the Primitive Methodist Connexion.

At Englesea Brook, the story of Primitive Methodism is traced from these early beginnings through to the Methodist Union in 1932 (when the majority of the Victorian denominations recombined to form today's united Methodist Church in Britain).

Book Sales
Over 35,000 second hand books on all subjects, with a good Methodist section, are available for sale every Friday, 10.00am - 2.00pm, and Saturday, 10.00am - 1.00pm, at Hassall Road Methodist Church, Hassall Road, Alsager ST7 2HH. Run by the Friends of Englesea Brook, all proceeds go to support the work of the Chapel and Museum.

Admission
Free admission. Donations appreciated.

Additional visitor information
Car park (with one coach space)

Worship services
Regular 'heritage' services and other special events are held to add interest, relevance and atmosphere to your visit: an experience generally enjoyed with complimentary tea or coffee - see www.engleseabrook.org.uk  for dates and details.

Also nearby
Mow Cop, a nearly 1100' rocky outcrop with a folly on top (today a National Trust site) – location of Hugh Bourne's first camp meeting.