THE METHODIST CHURCH IN LYNTON
Methodism was late in coming to Lynton, possibly because of its remote situation, although the romantic poets, Wordsworth and Coleridge knew it, but in the 1840's a Wesleyan Local Preacher from Barnstaple, Richard Stevens, formed a little society of twelve members in Lynton. This seems to have dwindled for in 1845 a report speaks of its being in need of revival. This may have been because the Congregationalists already had a chapel in the village and this served the needs of Nonconformists. The Congregationalists built a chapel at the bottom of Sinai Hill in 1850, and this building still stands, having been a cinema for some time and is now part of a dwelling.
In 1869 a Wesleyan Local Preacher from Williton called John Gliddon was invited by the Congregationalists to take services while they were without a minister. He held open-air services at Barbrook then; as now, a hamlet, and these led a blacksmith, James Kingdon to form a society in his house at Barbrook, and to William Cutlan forming one in his lodging house in Lynton. In 1870 when John Gliddon visited the village in 1870 he found a society of thirty members, and a retired Supernumerary Minister, the Revd. H. Deane was appointed , living in Croft House and holding classes in James Kingdon's cottage. This cottage was too small and so the Wesleyans met in a malt house of the farm of William Jones at Caffyns. Caffyns is some two miles from Lynton!
This growing society led the members at Barbrook to build a chapel with schoolroom underneath in their hamlet. The foundation stone, still visible, has the inscription:
THIS STONE
WAS LAID BY
Mr. JOHN GLIDDON
JULY 5 1870
The Revd. J. Stanley gave the address on Methodism and Evangelism, and a tea for 200 people was provided afterwards. The chapel was opened on 14th June 1871 and people from as far away as Barnstaple came to its opening. It was in the Bamstaple Circuit at that time and preachers made the 20-mile journey out to take services, often preaching at East Down, Parracombe or Kentisbury on the way.
In 1872 the schoolroom became a day school with 19 scholars under a certificated teacher, Richard Veall, who commented on the children "many of them had been accustomed to read only from the Bible and consequently stumble over many words in an ordinary reading book." He also added: "Find that it will be necessary to enforce strict discipline".
Barbrook continued as a day school under the Education Authority until the 1920’2 but it remained a church and Sunday school right up to the 1980’s coming into the Ilfracombe circuit in 1955. It still appears as having weekly services on the plans of the circuit up to the 1970's, but then there is a blank space without even its name inserted. During this time it was serving as a Christian Youth Hostel with young people staying there in the holiday season, and this continued until its final closure in 1998. The warden, Liz, living in the schoolhouse attached to the hostel, an unused and dilapidated tennis court being used as car park.
However, in 1986 Barbrook appears again on the preaching plan with monthly services at 3:00 pm, two of them family services and one at the parish church. These became less frequent in later years with services only on special occasions, such as harvest and Christmas carol services, the last recorded being on the 15th December 1997 at 3:00 pm taken by Peter Ellis, the Lay Assistant at Combe Martin. The chapel and school with the adjoining house were sold in 1998.
Although Wesleyans were meeting in Lynton village from the 1840's the did not build a chapel there until after the society at Barbrook. By 1870 the Lynton society was meeting regularly and this led to the building of a chapel in Blackmore's Path off Lydiate Lane. It was in the Bamstaple Circuit until 1884 when Lynton became a separate circuit with its own resident minister.
This chapel was evidently too small and poorly sited for a growing congregation and this led in the 1890's to the Wesleyans planning to build a new chapel. The site they obtained was right next door to the newly opened Town Hall of 1900 on Lee Road and they took full advantage of their position with a building that rivals its neighbour in its lavish style. It also rivals the then newly built Congregational Chapel of 1904 which stands not far across the same road. It was opened in 1910 and the old chapel eventually became the Masonic Hall. It is an impressive building in the Gothic style, looking much the same size as the later chapel on Lee Road but access to it is difficult and it is very much out of the way.
The new chapel was designed by the Bristol architects La Trobe and Weston who gave it the very fashionable Arts and crafts style, almost Art Nouveau, as one can still see today. Its porch is half timbered, set between Bath stone corner buttresses which also flank the main gable above. These buttresses have delightful Art Nouveau carving on them and the main widow is set under an overhanging arch which adds drama to the façade. Within there is the same attention to detail both in the ornate hammer-beam roof and the furnishings. The lay-out is typical of the Wesleyan chapels of the time with a recess for the Communion Table, hardly a chancel and a side pulpit which can still be seen with its beaten copper panels. Both Ilfracombe (1898) and Mortehoe (1901), built just a few years earlier, have a similar lay-out, showing that the Wesleyans had not strayed very far from their Anglican parent.
One summer in the mid-1990’s a young lady visitor was so impressed by the architecture of the chapel that she asked if she might make it the theme of her thesis. This led to the building being listed as Grade II*, and so it has had to be preserved almost intact. One loss had occurred in the 1970's. The original design included a small spire over the gable at the entrance. It became dilapidated and was removed, since as the Trustee's report stated that "it served no useful purpose"
The Lynton Circuit remained separate with its own minister embracing the Barbrook, the Brendon and Parracombe societies until 1955 when, the Revd F. Burdon being the minister, its came under the care of the Ilfracombe circuit. It still retained its own resident ministers among whom were the Revd G. Frost (1957-8) and Revd Chesworth Jackson (1959) and Pastor Lang. However, in 1959 the name of the Revd F. H. Everson appears as the superintendent minister, and that of the Revd Brlan Allin, the minister of Combe Martin, as having pastoral oversight. The church closed on 30th August 1998 as the few remaining members found it impossible to maintain such a large and important a building. The members decided to worship with their friends at the United Reformed Church, across the road, although no formal amalgamation took place. The chapel became an arts centre and is open to the public so that one can still see its beautiful interior, even the pulpit remaining.
The chapel had fine schoolrooms at the back. Many teachers served in the Sunday School over the years including Mary Bowen, Mr Houghton and May Bowen. There were also weeknight activities and meetings.
Many people have served the chapel over the years, Mr Will Pentecost and Gavin McCallam as stewards. Mrs Una McCallam and Miss Day led the Women's Fellowship. Mr Malcolm New was organist until the chapel closed and has continued to serve the present united congregation. One minister has a special place in the history of Lynton Methodism, and that is the Revd Ash Parsons (1932-1939) who then chose to retire in Lynton and whose name appears on church documents up to 1948.
Lynton still has a place on the Ilfracombe Circuit Plan. The original members and new members share in the life of the United Reformed Church and benefit from dual membership. We are grateful for the welcome given to the Methodists and enabling the circuit, through occasional appointments, to keep in touch with the members there.
© Text Revd. James Bates, John Travis and Malcolm New