St Day is a village between Chacewater and Redruth. Its first Wesleyan Chapel was located in Chapel Street. This profile has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell with some information provided by Barrie May of Carharrack.
1828 Chapel
1828 Wesleyan Chapel on Chapel Street (Photo: Jo Lewis)
1828: St Day Wesleyan Chapel built in Chapel Street.
Walking up Chapel Street, the two tall houses nearly half-way on the right were originally the first Wesleyan Chapel in St. Day. Look for the 1828 date stone in the front centre of the building, this is also likely to be the date the street was built. (St Day Town Trail)
Wesleyan chapel, later converted to 2 houses. Roughly coursed granite and granite dressings. 3 storeys: symmetrical 2-window front with blocked wide central doorway and smaller doorways at far left and right. Original 20-pane sash windows had survived to right-hand house at the time of this survey but replaced since. One of 2 chapels plus an Anglican church built in St Day during the same year. (Cornwall Council Heritage Gateway)
1848 Chapel
1848: Built new chapel in Fore Street (using materials from the demolished St Day WMA Chapel).
1848: The 1828 chapel was replaced by the Fore Street Chapel which likely brought all the Wesleyan societies together in one place in the village.
Seating for 414 (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
1884: Raising funds for a new harmonium. (Cornubian and Redruth Times – Friday 22 February 1884)
1907: “St. Day Wesleyan Chapel is closed for the purpose of being cleaned and painted, the contract being in the hands of Mr. A. Reynolds, St. Day.” (Cornubian and Redruth Times – Thursday 27 June 1907)
1920: “St Day and Gwennap… it was inclement weather and tea was served in the schoolroom; there was also a public tea for teachers and friends which followed. Carharrack Brass Band was in attendance. The sports had to be postponed, but the children indulged in indoor games.” (8 July 1920 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became known as West End Methodist Church. (SWChurches)
1882-1963: Correspondence concerning trust, West End Methodist Church, St Day, Gwennap. (Kresen Kernow: MRR/1326)
1968: Fore Street Methodist Chapel closed.
1972: Fore Street Methodist Chapel closed. (SWChurches)
Fore Street Methodist Chapel demolished and replaced with housing – Forth an Eglos.
1968 Chapel
Circa 1968: St Day Methodist Chapels combined in the Methodist Schoolroom at the top of Telegraph Hill which was rebuilt as the new Methodist Chapel.
1945-1972) Trust minutes, West End Methodist Church, St Day, Gwennap (Kresen Kernow MRR/3087)
Methodist Church (Telegraph Hill), former Sunday Schoohouse (Photo: Jo Lewis)