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Trinity Methodist Chapel,
[Ravensdale Lane], SK17 8SX,
Cressbrook, Litton, Derbyshire.

Cemeteries

We believe the Chapel did NOT have a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded in 1931, but we understand it was closed in 1972.

The booklet Behind the View - Life & Times in Cressbrook (2005) attributes the introduction of Methodism to the village by John OLDFIELD, in 1844, who came to live here from Tideswell. Meetings were held originally in his house, continuing until the building of Cressbrook's own chapel, in 1931, almost 100 years later. During this period, leadership was passed on within the community, its role variously held by William JACKSON, William HAYWARD, and John BURTON, followed by his daughter Hannah, until the Trinity Chapel was built, opposite the then Toll House.

'Trinity House' (as it is now called) is described in Behind the View - Life & Times in Cressbrook (2005) as Cressbrook's newest building. It owes its origins to a sale on April 12th 1926 of a plot of land by mill proprietors Matthew Dickie Junior Ltd. to the trustees of the 'Primitive Methodist Church' for the considerable amount (in those days) of £50. With the help of a mortgage (which was eventually paid off in 1941), a chapel was constructed, with completion in 1931. The building was designed by architect Norman Palmer, working for J.W. Blackhurst of Sheffield. The opening ceremony, on Saturday 25th July that year, at 2:30pm was attended by no less than Edwin Lutyens (designer of the Cenotaph in London), and was followed by divine worship, and afternoon tea (at a shilling per head). Musical accompaniment was provided by 4 guest vocalists, with the organist from Hope Wesleyan Church, and the Cressbrook Silver Band.

The following notice in The London Gazette of 7th February 1933 (p.844) recorded its registration for marriages:

A Separate Building, duly certified for religious worship, named TRINITY METHODIST CHAPEL, situated at Cressbrook, in the civil parish of Litton, in Bakewell registration district, in the county of Derby, was, on the 3rd February, 1933, registered for solemnizing marriages therein, pursuant to 6 & 7 Will. IV, c.85. Dated 4th February 1933.

Since that date, and prior to its closure, many local residents have been married in the Chapel, and funeral services have been held there too; however falling attendance by the 1970s meant that it was increasingly difficult to sustain, and on 21st November 1972, the Chapel was sold by the trustees (4 of whom were from the original group of 20) into private ownership.

An appropriate notice that "TRINITY METHODIST CHAPEL, Cressbrook, Litton" was no longer used as a place of worship was published in the Gazette of 12th December 1972 (p.14771).

The Chapel belonged to the Primitive Methodist Church, Bradwell Circuit. The original meeting place (OLDFIELD's house?) was at 23 Lower Wood Cottages - or "Chapel House" - a name known to have been used locally, and within living memory of some of Cressbrook's older residents.

Denomination

Now or formerly Primitive Methodist.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Chapel was located at OS grid reference SK1707373166. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Trinity Methodist Chapel, Cressbrook, Litton shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Litton shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Cressbrook, Litton, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• Notices of Civil Registration of Places of Worship for marriages are published in the London edition of The Gazette. Hint: search for registrations from 1998 by choosing 'Church' notices, and the option 'Registration for solemnising marriage'. (verified 2018-12-11)

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.