The Churches of Britain and Ireland

Thornbury, Gloucestershire

Thornbury on Wikipedia.
 

Baptist Church (1828). The congregation was established in 1747, and the first Baptist Chapel built in 1789. Altered and enlarged several times, a new larger Baptist Church Centre was added to the rear of the chapel in the 1980's, and the last service held in the old chapel in 1988. © Janet Gimber (2012). Baptist Church Centre on Gillingstool. ST 63940 90021. © Carole Sage (2018). Link. A good history. Grade II listed.

Christ the King (R.C.) on Castle Street, which replaced an earlier church in St. Mary Street. Another view. ST 63611 90245. Both © Janet Gimber (2012). Another view, and the "Prayer Garden", both © Carole Sage (2017). Link. Some history here, including interior photos of the old and new churches.

The former Crossways Chapel on Crossways Lane. Originally Congregational/Independent, it dates from 1837, and closed circa 1954. Subsequently used as a theatrical store, and an artists studio, it has since been converted to residential use. ST 65749 91126. © Carole Sage (2017). Link.

Part of the former 16th century Free Grammar School has a churchy look about it (at the right of the photo), but Carole has been unable to establish if it definitely was a chapel or not. Certainly the school had connections with St. Mary, and vicars and curates from the church were masters of the school on occasion. Now known as The Hatch (a Camphill Community Home), it is grade II listed. ST 63431 90446. © Carole Sage (2018).

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses off Crispin Lane. The date of building is uncertain, but it was there by 2012. ST 63941 90079. © Carole Sage (2017).

Kington Cemetery on Kington Lane has a mortuary chapel. It presumably dates to, or soon after, the cemetery's founding in 1892. ST 63209 90199. © Carole Sage (2017).

Methodist Church on High Street. ST 63653 90142. © Janet Gimber (2012). Link. A good history.

The site of the Quaker Meeting House on St. John Street. The first Meeting House here was established in a barn in 1674. It was re-built in 1702, and again in 1794. Closed because of falling numbers in 1847, the building continued in use for business purposes until 1981. It was subsequently demolished to make way for sheltered housing - Quaker Court. Another view. ST 63793 90112. A comprehensive history is available here, with photographs of the building. Currently, Thornbury's Quakers meet at The Chantry, on Castle Street. ST 63552 90422. Link. Grade II Listed. All © Carole Sage (2017).

St. Mary the Virgin, founded in 1106. ST 63401 90620. © Phil Draper. There was a tragedy here in 2012 when the vicar of this church was murdered - news article here. The following are all © Carole Sage (2018) - three aditional views - 1, 2, 3, a selection of gargoyles - 1, 2, 3, the clock and sun-dial, the interior, the chancel, Stafford Chapel, East window, stone pulpit, lectern (reputedly made from oak roof timber from Salisbury Cathedral), the font, and a memorial to Thomas Tyndale (brother of William Tyndale, of bible fame). Link1. Link2. Grade I listed.

St. Paul (1905) on Hacket Lane. Another view. ST 65370 90120. It was preceded by a "tin tabernacle" nearby, of 1894, at circa ST 654 900. A photo of it is available on the link appended to the Methodist Church entry above, which also says that it was moved after the current St. Paul was built, to serve as a schoolroom for the Methodist Church, from 1907. Both © Janet Gimber (2016). Link.

The former Salvation Army Hall, originally a Wesleyan Methodist Church. The building dates from 1789 (John Wesley preached here). There is a date-stone for 1835, but this must record building works of that year. It was closed in 1878, replaced by the Methodist Church on High Street (see above). ST 63698 89845. © Rob Brettle. Two additional views - 1, 2, both © Carole Sage (2017). Some history here, wherein it mentions that the Salvation Army rented the building from about 1880/1.

The 15th century building The Priory on Castle Street was reputedly (according to the grade II* listing) at one time an ecclesiastical building. ST 63593 90319. © Carole Sage (2018).

Thornbury Union Workhouse (according to this website) held services in the Adults Dining Room, which doubled as a Chapel. Built in 1837, the workhouse became a hospital in the 1930's,and was converted into flats in 2000-1. ST 64105 90520. © Carole Sage (2018). Grade II listed.

U.R.C. (1826), formerly Congregational, which replaced an earlier chapel from the early 18th century. ST 63762 89875. © Janet Gimber (2012). Two additional views - 1, 2, both © Carole Sage (2017). Link, and some history here. Grade II listed.

Wesleyan Methodist Church - see Salvation Army Hall, above.

 


 

 

 

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04 March 2023

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