Oswestry, Ellesmere and Chirk Circuit
Lee Bridges Methodist Church
Welcome to Lee Bridges Methodist Church.
History
The following are extracts from the first treasurers accounts book relating to the Chapel
entitled:
"Primitive Methodist Connexion
Ellesmere Circuit
Kenwick Park Society
Treasurer's Account Book for New Chapel at Lee Bridges
March 1898
by Thomas Lea
(The Springs)"
At some time "Kenwick Park" has been over-written with "Lee Bridges", the obvious reason for this is that the Primitive Methodists of that time would have held meetings in people's houses around the Kenwick Park district, which is quite extensive. When a suitable site was found for the erection of a permanent meeting place for worship, it was located a quarter of a mile just outside of Kenwick Park in the small neighbouring district known as Lee Bridges. There is no Minute Book for the early days, but the opening accounts page suggests that Messrs Griffiths were the builders and a Mr. Pickard was the architect. The accounts show that the building costs were met in full by February 1900 but included a loan of £20 by the Treasurer @ 4% interest. This debt was paid off by 1909. The Capitalisation Statement reads as follows:
| £ | s | d | |
| Paid Builder | 115 | 8 | 6 |
| Paid Architect | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| Paid Organ | 10 | 10 | 0 | Paid Incidentals | 7 | 0 | 2 | Total | 138 | 13 | 8 |
The founder of Messrs Griffiths was commissioned to build the Baptist Chapel in Newtown, Powys, in 1881. This building, excluding Cathedrals, is still considered to be the largest ecclesiastical building in Wales. The business also built the United Reform Church in Doveston, Shropshire, in 1879 and later built Chapels at Oswestry, Whittington and the Methodist (Trimpley) and Congregational Churches in Ellesmere.
Lee Bridges Methodist Chapel consists of only one room constructed with a timber frame and painted corrugated iron sheets externally and natural tongue and groved pine timber boards which are varnished on the interior, sides and roof. The only brick-work used is in the foundations to which the framework is fastened. There is a natural timber boarded floor with a cavity underneath. This design has produced an extremely heat efficient and cosy interior as the steel sheets attract the natural heat from the sun during the daytime and the insulation quality of the timbered interior retains a good amount of warmth into the evenings. Originally, the Chapel had two suspended paraffin lamps for lighting purposes which also produced a small amount of heat. However, in the 1940's, when electricity became available, mains electric was installed.
 Lee Ellesmere Shropshire SY12 |