This profile of Lanner Bible Christiam Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
Located on Lanner Hill, the Chapel and school room are set back from the main road through Lanner.
Heritage Gateway: Bible Christian chapel and attached Sunday school, built in 1866, now all used as village hall. Local rubble with contrasting granite dressings. Simple Gothic style front with pointed arches. 3-bay front end has tall centre panel with quatrefoil over round-arched doorway. Some original sash windows to side elevation. Part of an interesting group and relating to Wesleyan chapel and Sunday School. https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO33124&resourceID=1020
1817: A chapel was built on Lanner Hill by the followers of John Boyle, an itinerant preacher.
The chapel was taken over by the Bible Christians who had united with Boyles’ followers.
By 1844 the chapel had been rebuilt twice but only altered marginally from the original shape of the building.
1866: Rebuilt. It was as large as the site would allow: 50 feet by 38 feet and 24 feet from floor to ceiling.
1890: Tenders being sought for renovating and re-seating the chapel. (Cornubian and Redruth Times – Friday 05 September 1890)
1904: Laying foundation stones of new Sunday school. (Cornubian and Redruth Times – Saturday 18 June 1904)
1904: Schoolroom added along with heating, a furnace house, a chamber for apparatus and two earth closets at a cost of £400.
1901: Listed as a Bible Christian chapel in the returns.
1907: Lanner Chapel Stone-Laying. The United Methodist Church at Lanner (formerly Bible Christian) was erected in the year 1868, and about a year ago it was discovered that massive granite facade had become almost detached from the remainder of the building. As a result, it was deemed advisable to erect a new frontage, and to entirely renovate the interior of the building. The memorial stones of the new front, which is to be of Carnmarth granite, with central doorway and “set-off windows of Norman architecture, were laid on Thursday last, in the presence of a large company… (West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser – Thursday 28 November 1907)
(Photo: Jo Lewis)
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.
Accounts exist for Lanner Hill United Methodist Church from 1908 to 1939.
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1934: The congregation amalgamated with the other Lanner denominations at the Wesleyan Chapel (https://cornishstory.com/2021/06/07/mapping-methodism-lanner-wesleyan-chapel/) to become Lanner Methodist Church.
1940: Seating for 280. (Revd David Easton)
During the second world war the chapel was closed by the Methodist Connection and later commandeered by the Ministry of Food. The gallery was used as a store and collection depot for egg boxes and the Sunday School room was used as a school for Roman Catholic evacuees and a drill hall headquarters for the local Home Guard. It never reopened as a church, although in 1945, one last service was held to celebrate the return of Charlie Job from a Japanese POW camp.
1943-1946: Documents relating to its sale.
1946: The Village Hall was born when 30 villagers contributed £10 each to buy the chapel for £301 13s 9d. A suspended ceiling was installed to seal off the gallery, the wall dividing the chapel from the schoolroom was demolished and a new stage added. The first production by the newly-formed Lanner Amateur Dramatic Society was performed in the Village Hall.
1962: The Men’s Institute moved to the Village Hall. The present institute occupies the original site of the chapel, the Village Hall is that of the schoolroom. Due to its origins it is forbidden to sell or consume alcohol on the premises. More information is available on the Lanner site (https://www.lanner.org.uk/lanner-village-hall/history-of-the-hall/)
Further reading:
https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/RelatedNameCode.keyword/CRO%7CUK%7C1203/
There is a picture of the Sunday school children in front of the chapel (1890-1899) in Cornish Memory (https://www.cornishmemory.com/item/BRA_8_085)