Primitive Methodist Chapel. Castle Street and Chapel Street Oswestry

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL AT OSWESTRY. The memorial stones have just been laid of the new Primitive Methodist Chapel at Oswestry. The architect is Mr J D Mould of Manchester and the builder is Mr Jabez Higgins. The building will occupy the plot of land at the corner of Castle-street and Chapel-street, the main entrance will be from Chapel-street. The extreme length will be 69 ft., the width of the nave 36 ft. 8 in., and on each side there will be transepts. The end facing Chapel-street will be apsidal and will contain the rostrum and seats for over sixty singers. The building will have a battlemented tower at the entrance corner, surmounted by a tower. Mr William Hudson of Gobowen is the clerk of the works. (Builder 2 July 1898 Page 13)

A new Primitive Methodist Church has just been opened at Oswestry at the corner of Chapel and Castle streets. Perpendicular Gothic in style, the walls are of Ruabon red brick with white sandstone dressings, and a tower with spire marks the angle formed by the streets, the principal front being in Chapel-street. The internal fittings are of pitch-pine and the seating accommodation, which is designed to provide accommodation for 425, is arranged in amphitheatrical form. The architect is Mr J D Mould of Manchester and the contractor Mr John Higgins of Oswestry; the cost of the new building is close to ,2,000. Mr Evans of Manchester was responsible for the electric light installation and Messrs John Minshall & Company of Oswestry supplied and fixed the heating apparatus. [Builder 8 April 1899 page 352]

The foundation stone of the new chapel was laid on 16 June 1898.  It replaced Oswestry's first Primitive Methodist chapel, called "Ebenezer", which was built on the same site in 1840. The present chapel with its adjoining Sunday Schools (which were built in 1890) cost a total of £3548. A sepia photograph of the chapel under construction  in 1898‑9 appeared in the Shropshire Magazine, October 2006, page 47.

Reference    Building News 4 March 1898 p328 - contracts
Reference    Builder 5 March 1898 page 242
Reference    Builder 2 April 1898 Page 339 (tenders)
Reference    Builder 2 July 1898 Page 13
Reference    Building News 1 July 1898 Page xiv
Reference    Builder 8 April 1899 page 352