Manchester Road Methodist Church
Manchester Road Methodist Church ceased to worship on 3rd March 2019, with its congregation dispersing to other churches in the area.
A Brief History
In 1871 a Primitive Methodist Society began to meet in ‘Swinton Bar Chapel’, so called because as toll bar used to cross Manchester Road nearby. The building had been bought by Jonathan Gerrard, a Methodist who lived and worked locally. Because of his involvement, the Chapel was often referred to as ‘Gerrard’s Chapel’. The Chapel opened on 29th January 1871.
Work started on a new Chapel in 1891 and this opened in November. A Sunday School was added in 1907 and in 1921 electric lights were installed! It is not clear when the name changed to Manchester Road Methodist.
In the 1970s the Sunday School building was demolished due to dry rot. This was replaced by a smaller building which was used for Sunday School, monthly prayer meetings and midweek meetings.
The congregation of Manchester Road decided, in 2018 that it was time for them to cease to meet as a church. There was a weekend of celebration and a Circuit Service to mark the closing in March 2019.