Frogpool is a hamlet in the parish of Gwennap, 6 miles south-west of Truro and 1.2 miles from the nearest railway station at Perranwell Station. This profile of Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
1828: A Wesleyan chapel was in existence on this site. (SWChurches)
1843: Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel built. (SWChurches / Frogpool Methodist Church website)
To seat 150. (Frogpool Methodist Church website)
1860: Frogpool Wesleyan society purchased the freehold. (SWChurches)
1876: “On Sunday last Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel was reopened, after being closed for some weeks to undergo repairs… While the chapel was undergoing repairs the friends held their services in Cusgarne church schoolroom, which was kindly lent them by the vicar.” (Royal Cornwall Gazette – Saturday 27 May 1876)
1885-1893: Attendance register, Band of Hope, Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1100)
“Frogpool. A correspondent states that the trustees of the Frog pool Wesleyan chapel, would do an act of kindness by providing better accommodation for the preachers’ horses. Preachers are complaining of the bad stabling of their horses. Surely if the stable is poor it would hold a feed of corn for horse.” (Cornubian and Redruth Times – Friday 01 November 1901)
1902: “Tenders are invited for Re-Seating and Decorating at Wesley Chapel, Frogpool…” (West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser – Thursday 01 May 1902)
Circa 1908: Some remodelling. (Heritage Gateway)
Laying the Foundation Stones of the New Sunday School with the old Sunday school still in place (Photo: Kresen Kernow corn03115)
1908: New Frogpool school room built next to the chapel on the site of the previous building. Foundation stones were laid in September 1908 and a photo shows the old and planned in the same place. The stable room also seen here was built after the Sunday school and has been recently refurbished. It is also used as meeting room or place for quiet prayer. It was previously used for visiting preachers’ horses. (Jo Lewis)
1909: New schoolroom opened at Frogpool. (The Cornish Telegraph – Thursday 18 February 1909)
1897-1910: Minutes, teachers’ meetings, Sunday School, Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel, (Kresen Kernow MRF/1106)
1912: Pipe organ was installed. (SWChurches)
1912: “In Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel Thursday Miss Nancy Thomas-Peter opened a new organ that has been provided at a cost of about £2lO. Prior to Thursday. the musical portion of the services was assisted by harmonium. Built by Messrs. Heard and Co., Truro. the organ, encased in pitch pine with decorated pipes, has two manuals, small organ, great organ with 56 notes, and pedal organ with 30 notes. The front pipes and pedal organ are pneumatic. The interior of the church has also been redecorated and the church repaired at a cost £4O…” (West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser – Thursday 15 August 1912)
Part of Falmouth Wesleyan Circuit. (SWChurches)
c1900-1920: Tea and bun tickets, Sunday School, Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel. Tea tickets for 6 pence and 9 pence, tickets for buns and tickets with ’10’ on them (purpose not clear). (Kresen Kernow MRF/1112)
1911-1928: Minutes, teachers’ meetings, Sunday School, Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1107)
Circa 1900-1920: Tea and bun tickets, Sunday School, Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel, Gwennap. Tea tickets for 6 pence and 9 pence, tickets for buns and tickets with ’10’ on them (purpose not clear). (Kresen Kernow MRF/1112)
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became Frogpool Methodist Church. (SWChurches)
Part of Gwennap Wesleyan Circuit. (SWChurches)
1934: Part of Falmouth Methodist Circuit. (SWChurches)
1954-1959: Receipts and correspondence, Frogpool Methodist Church, Gwennap. Found loose in MRF/1069. Includes circuit assessments for 1959. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1072)
17 Mar 1978: Programme, opening and re-dedication service, Frogpool Methodist Church. Souvenir programme of events to celebrate the re-opening and re-dedication of the church after decoration work. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1118)
18 Jul 1993: Programme, 150th anniversary concert, Frogpool Methodist Church, Programme for concert by the Govenek Choir to celebrate 150 years of Frogpool Methodist Church and letter to local community inviting them to attend the celebrations and worship at the chapel. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1119)
Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel (Photo: Jo Lewis)
Frogpool Wesleyan Chapel, Sunday school and stable room (Photo: Jo Lewis)
Wesleyan chapel with later attached Sunday school. Some remodelling circa 1908. Good example with stucco detail, dry slate roofs, pediment, fanlight sashes and box pews in end gallery. Listed in Stell (b1). (Heritage Gateway)
The Sunday School building is attached as is the recently re-furbished Stable Room. Services are on Sunday mornings. We hold a very successful Coffee Morning from 10.30 a.m. on the last Thursday of each month often for some charitable cause. The local W.I. meet on our premises on the 1st Tuesday in the month at 7 pm. The main hall is a useful venue for birthday parties etc. (The Methodist Church 2021)
The main features of Frogpool are the Wesleyan Chapel and Sunday School both built in 1843 and surrounded by old cottages and farmhouses. The tradesmen and women of the village largely supported the mining and milling activities of the Cusgarne and Bissoe valleys which steadily declined into dereliction. Most of the buildings still remain however, having been converted into private dwellings. The village became known as Frogpool in the early 19th Century as it described the natural feature of the area, a pond prolific in frogs! The pool was situated 100 metres to the west of the Chapel, where there are now bungalows… (Cornish Arms website)
Numerous items of minutes, attendance records etc are held at Kresen Kernow: https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/RelatedNameCode.keyword/CRO%7CUK%7C536/