This profile of Portreath United Methodist Free Church has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
Located at Primrose Terrace – turning up School Lane at the entrance to the village takes you to Primrose Terrace. The chapel was slightly to the left on the south side the road.
Heritage Gateway: A United Methodist, later the Free United Methodist chapel is recorded on the 1st and 2nd Edition 1:2500 1880 and 1907 OS Maps at this position in Portreath. It is no longer extant. https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO52219&resourceID=1020
Kresen Kernow documents: https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/RelatedNameCode.keyword/CRO%7CUK%7C603/
“Before 1874 members of the UMFC met in a low, dingy room in a quarry at Primrose Terrace, capable of holding 80 or 90 people.” (Portreath by Michael Tangye)
1873: “The United Methodist Free Church are about to build a new chapel Portreath. The architect is Mr. Hicks, Redruth; and the contractors, Messrs. Peters and Trounson, Camborne.” (The Cornish Telegraph – Wednesday 24 December 1873)
Chapel and school room was built on the site of the earlier meeting house. (Portreath by Michael Tangye)
1899: The Basset of Tehidy estate granted a new lease of the Chapel premises (which included a schoolroom) on 31 December 1899 upon condition of the surrender of the old lease. The new lease was to run for 999 years!! We do not as yet know the date of the original estate lease to the Free Methodists.
1899: “The 31 December 1899 was an important day in the life of this Society as this is the date of the first known surviving Trust deed that we have. The Trust members were as follows, Hugh Phillips Vivian of Camborne, gentleman; Thomas Trounson of Redruth, merchant; Thomas Trounson junior of Redruth, merchant; John Toy of Redruth, draper; William John Opie of Redruth, draper; William Henry Hitchens of Redruth, painter; Joseph Edward Sanders, of Redruth, gardener; Henry Harding of Portreath, posting master; Walter Trescowthick of Portreath, dock porter, William Henry Williams of Portreath, dock porter, John Treloar of Portreath, coal agent; John Arthur Martin of Portreath, dock porter; James Hosking of Portreath, dock porter and George Henry Stanlick of Illogan, tin dresser. It can be seen therefore that the membership of this Trust was firmly rooted from within the local business and industrial community, with a scattering of the great and the good from Redruth and Camborne in order to provide some social clout.” (David Thomas)
Portreath UMFC (Photo provided by David Thomas)
1907: The Methodist New Connexion, Bible Christians and United Methodist Free Churches amalgamated to become the United Methodist Church.
The chapel was part of Redruth United Methodist Circuit.
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became Primrose Terrace Methodist Church. (SWChurches)
The chapel was part of Redruth Methodist Circuit.
1939: “By the year 1939 the number of members in the Primrose Terrace Society had fallen to only 11, a small number indeed for such a prominent chapel building, especially where repairs might be needed. (Comparatively the ex-Wesleyan Central Methodist Church had 26 members at this time).” (David Thomas)
1940: Seating for 186. (Revd David Easton)
1944: “The chapel Trustees purchased the freehold of the property for £22.10 shillings on the 6th
November 1944 and this act extinguished the 999-year lease of 1899.” (David Thomas)
1953: The chapel closed. (SWChurches / Revd David Easton)
The congregation joined Portreath Central Methodist Church. (David Easton)
1953: “It appears from the surviving records that the last service in the chapel took place on or around 6 December 1953 and the buildings fell into disuse.” (David Thomas)
1954 – 21st January: Sale of items, Primrose Terrace Chapel, Portreath. Letter from J H Stapleton, 7 Chapel Terrace to Mr Martin; St Mary’s, Portreath would wish to acquire table tops, trestles, seat covers and crockery from Primrose Terrace Chapel. (Kresen Kernow P88/2/300)
“The Trust was later renewed on 25 August 1925, additions to it were made on 6 April 1943 and there was a final renewal made on 27 November 1958 to dispose of the Chapel premises.” (David Thomas)
1959: The chapel buildings were valued for potential sale purposes at £300 on 29 September 1956 and two months later, local builder W M Greenslade offered a sum of £150 for them. The buildings were all later sold at that sum and the proceeds, after the deduction of agent’s fees, were given to Bridge Methodist Church.
Demolished. (Revd David Easton)
Dwelling on site. (Revd David Easton)