Trewennack is a village northeast of Helston on the A394 main road. This profile of Trewennack UMFC has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
4 Parc Bowen
United Free Methodist chapel 1860’s plus attached Sunday school of 1903. Granite rubble buildings with granite dressings, hipped roof over chapel. Single-storey elevations with round-arched openings and original sashes with fanlight heads. Later gabled porch to side elevation with traceried wooden window with margin-pane glazing. Interior not inspected but likely to have gallery. (Heritage Gateway)
7/403 Trewennack Methodist Church – including schoolroom and associated courtyard walls, gate-piers and gates. Methodist chapel, including adjoining schoolroom and associated walls gate-piers and gates. Granite rubble with dressings. Asbestos slate hipped roof over chapel with slightly projecting eaves and cast-iron ogee-section gutters; dry Delabole slate roof with gable ends to schoolroom. Plan: Chapel is a rectangular aisle-less plan with canted organ over vestry projecting at the left-hand approximately (north) end. Porch to middle of west entrance front. Schoolroom adjoins front right hand corner and has entrance from chapel forecourt into left-hand end. Exterior: Chapel has symmetrical 3 window west road front. Originally there were 3 tall round-headed sashes but the lower part of wider central window is partly blocked since later C19 porch was added. Original hornless sashes with fanlight heads (front and rear) except that upper sash of left-hand window is horned copy. Central window has marginal panes. Porch has central 2-light traceried window with coloured marginal panes to the round-headed arched lights. Pair of original doors in right- hand wall. Rear is unaltered. Right-hand end has C20 windows in original round- headed openings. There is an original 16-pane hornless sash at ground floor on the right. Interior: Walls parallel to the entrance front have round-headed granite monolithic piers. C19 ogee-headed wrought iron gates with overthrow and lantern. Walls to south end of south courtyard have similar piers and there is a granite stile on the right. Listing NGR: SW6807628816. (Historic England)
1860s: Build date. (Heritage Gateway)
Built as a United Methodist Free Church.
1869: “The children connected with the Trewennack Free Church Sunday School, received their annual tea last Tuesday, in a field contiguous to the chapel. The Porkellis Brass Band was in attendance. In the evening, a meeting was held, when several addresses were delivered.” (24 July 1869 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1887: “Trewennack United Methodist Free Church Sunday-school tea was held Thursday, Gweek Rifle Band being in attendance. Mr Jenkin kindly lent a field near the chapel for the open-air festivities.” (28 July 1887 – Cornishman)
1903: Sunday school build date. (Heritage Gateway)
1907: The Methodist New Connexion, Bible Christians and United Methodist Free Churches amalgamated to become the United Methodist Church.
1907: Became a United Methodist Church.
1930: Photograph of interior. https://photographs.museumofcornishlife.co.uk/Search/trewennack/
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became Trewennack Methodist Church.
1949: Chapel extensively re-decorated. (Cornishman – Thursday 29 September 1949)
(Photo: Paul Phillips)
31st August 2016: Closure date.
Congregation moved to Helston Methodist Church which changed its name to Central Methodist Church, Helston, with effect from September 1st, 2016.
The Chapel and school room are grade 2 listed.
9th February 2022. For Sale by Auction. Guide Price £130,000 – £140,000 (plus auctioneer fees). Lot 66. An opportunity to purchase a delightful, Grade II listed former Methodist Chapel with attached Sunday School in the Cornish hamlet of Trewennack. Situated in the Cornish hamlet of Trewennack is this spacious, former Methodist Chapel with attached Sunday School. Having been at the heart of the community for many years, the property is now being sold by way of auction and offers great potential for development subject to any necessary planning permissions and consents including listed building approval. In brief, the chapel comprises an entrance porch, main chapel area, kitchen, w.c. and a boiler room. The Sunday School building comprises a hall, main Sunday School room, kitchen, w.c., disabled w.c. and a teaching room. Trewennack is a rural hamlet a short distance from the market town of Helston. The hamlet is renowned for its well established horticultural show. More extensive amenities can be found in the nearby town of Helston with many national stores, supermarkets, cinema, sports centre, with indoor swimming pool, and both primary and secondary schooling. (Right Move)
The Chapel and Sunday school sold.
Photographs provided by Barry West
Photographs provided by Sarah Davis
