Mapping Methodism – Illogan Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Chapel

Broad Lane is a hamlet in the civil parish of Carn Brea near Illogan. This profile of Illogan Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Chapel was compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.

 

1859 Illogan Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Chapel

Primitive Methodist Sunday school. Local rubble with granite dressings; crested clay ridge tiles and front gable finial; brick stack over rear gable. Italianate influence with round-arched openings at the front. Coped front gable end has date plaque over paired window and doorway at left and right, panelled doors. (Cornwall Heritage Gateway)

1856: Permission granted to build a Primitive Chapel. (My Primitive Methodists)

1859: Build date. (My Primitive Methodists)

Possibly of wood and stone construction. (My Primitive Methodists)

Located on the site of the later (1890) Sunday school. (My Primitive Methodists)

Between 1859 and 1866: Various improvements made, with new flooring, pews (for up to 130 people) and windows. (My Primitive Methodists)

Known locally as Little Sump Chapel. (My Primitive Methodists)

1889: Demolished. (My Primitive Methodists)

The Sunday school tea treats went out via an archway, possibly the adjacent bridge for the GWR Portreath branch line, to fields now occupied by bungalows. (My Primitive Methodists)

7 Dec 1860: Certificate of registration, Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Church, Illogan. Certificate of registration as place of religious worship. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1651)

 

1887 Illogan Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Chapel

1887 Illogan Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Chapel (Photo: Jo Lewis)

1887: New chapel built and the school room across the road in 1890 on the site of the first chapel. It was 45 x 36 feet. The architect was Mr Whetter, and builder Mr (later Sir) Arthur Carkeek of Redruth. The granite edging came from Portreath (a small but important port a mile or so away) and the rest of the stone from West Tolgus (an area adjacent to the chapel). (My Primitive Methodists)

Primitive Methodist chapel. Local rubble with granite dressings; steep dry slate roof with crested clay ridge tiles and clay finials. Simple Gothic style with pointed arches and original glazing and doorway fanlight, all with intersecting glazing bars to their heads. 3-bay front end has quatrefoil window over central doorway and tall flanking windows; named foundation stones. Low coped forecourt walls surmounted by iron railings and with dressed granite piers. Dignified unaltered example. (Cornwall Heritage Gateway)

 

1887: Build date. (Cornwall Heritage Gateway / SWChurches)

18th May 1887: Memorial stones laid, with the Sunday school children placing gifts on top (as was the tradition to gather gifts towards the building fund locally). One stone (and we do not know which one) is hollow and contains time capsule items inside. (My Primitive Methodists)

9th November 1887: Opening date. (My Primitive Methodists)

Part of Redruth Primitive Methodist Circuit. (SWChurches)

20 Apr 1888: Certificate of registration, Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Church, Illogan. Certificate of registration as place of religious worship. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1652)

1890: Sunday school built. (SWChurches)

The 1890 Sunday School on the site of the 1856 Chapel (Photo: Jo Lewis)

1891: Chapel enlarged in 1891 (another history puts it as 1893) with the back wall pushed back 16 feet and vestry added. (My Primitive Methodists)

6 Nov 1891: Certificate of registration, Sunday School, Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Church, Illogan. Certificate of registration as place of religious worship. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1653)

1894: Membership 151 but congregation 330! (My Primitive Methodists)

2 Nov 1985: Typescript note, particulars of Chapel conveyance, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1672)

1895: Freehold of the two sites obtained from Lord Robert of Tehidy. (My Primitive Methodists)

1897: Pew charges were 9d for main pews per quarter, with sides at 6d and others free dependent where they were. (My Primitive Methodists)

1905: Alterations undertaken when the organ from the original Plain an Gwarry (Redruth) chapel was bought for £100. (My Primitive Methodists)

1906: Purchased sixty-two umbrella stands. (My Primitive Methodists)

A mid-Edwardian postcard view from about 1907 of the interior of the Primitive Methodist Chapel at Broad Lane in Illogan parish. The floor area is crowded with pews in this later nineteenth century building, constructed in 1887 and designed to accommodate as many worshippers and hearers as possible. A small organ dominates the interior, which in recent years has been removed and is I believe now in Holland. It is however the message on the back of the card which catches my attention, which reads as follows: “Dear Fred you should have heard your noble sire hold forth in this Church one Sunday evening in Sept. They had a glorious time – he suited them & they suited him. It’s a grand place in Broadlane. Henry” It would appear therefore that Henry and Fred’s father was either a Minister or Local Preacher. One would like to know more about the content (and the length!) Of what was obviously a memorable sermon over a hundred years ago. The 1887 building replaced an earlier Primitive chapel built for just over £58 in 1859 and which stood on the site of the 1890 Sunday School across the road from the main chapel building. (Photo: Redruth photographer H Darlow Wootton courtesy David Thomas, Kresen Kernow)

21 Dec 1911: Letter of sanction, extension to Sunday School, Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Church, Illogan. Letter of sanction from T Lloyd Page, Devon and Cornwall District Building Committee, St Day Primitive Methodist Church to the Redruth Circuit for building a new infant classroom extension to the Sunday School. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1656)

Mar 1911: Blueprint plan, new infant classroom extension, Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Church, Illogan. Extension of Sunday School. Plan by Sampson Hill, architect, Redruth. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1657)

1912: Installed gas lighting. (My Primitive Methodists)

1924: “The annual tea treat of Broadlane Primitive Sunday school was held on Saturday. The Camborne Town Band headed the procession and after parading the district the scholars returned to a field, where tea and buns were served. …” (24 July 1924 – Cornubian and Redruth Times)

16 Jun 1924: Certificate of registration, marriages, Broad Lane Primitive Methodist Church, Illogan. Superintendent registrar’s certificate for solemnization of marriages. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1664)

1929: Installed electricity. (My Primitive Methodists)

1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

1940: Seating for 285. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)

27 Mar 1943: Declaration, new model deed, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. Declaration of adoption of new model deed for Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1660)

25 May 1956: Letter, solemnization of marriages, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. Letter from the General Register Office, Somerset House confirming registration of chapel for the solemnization of marriages. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1671)

13 Feb-9 May 1974: Correspondence, land for road widening, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. Correspondence between The Reverend R Lees, Camborne and Exelby’s Solicitors, Redruth concerning land for road widening at Broad Lane. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1674)

Nov 1991: Quinquennial inspection report, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. Report on structural survey of chapel and Sunday School buildings with plans and coloured photographs. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1252)

4 Dec 1988: Estimate, repair to Sunday School roof and chimney, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1265)

1989-1991: Papers, objection to proposed development, Broad Lane Methodist Church, Illogan. Concerning objection to proposed development of land at Clifton Road, Park Bottom, Illogan for residential purposes. (Kresen Kernow MRCB/1676)

1996: Closed. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)

Became an Apostolic Church. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)

Called the Grapevine Community Church.

Having closed in the 1990’s, the local Apostolic congregation took it on with support from Redruth Baptist Church, before passing to Grapevine Community Church.