Default Image We do not have a
Photograph at present.
Image by courtesy of
openclipart.org

Salem Chapel,
Trafalgar Terrace / Hardy Road,
Bedminster Down, Bristol, Gloucestershire.

Cemeteries

We believe the Chapel does 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 1892, and we understand it is still open.

Salem Chapel is situated on the north-east corner of the junction of Trafalgar Terrace with Hardy Road, a cobbled street off South Liberty Lane, part of a one-way system which also includes Nelson Street. It is built of red brick in a classic style, having 2 rectangular windows on either side of a central doorway, with porch, above which is a venetian-style window, all of them dressed with a cream-coloured stone.

At the time of publication of Kelly's Directory of Bristol of 1902 it was recorded as "Salem Methodist Free Church in "Trafalgar Terrace, Bedminster Down Road", and on the corner of its junction with Wellington Road. It seems likely the latter was subsequently renamed to Hardy Road to avoid confusion with Wellington Roads elsewhere in Bristol.

The following notice in The London Gazette of 5th October 1928 (p.6442) records its registration for marriages:

A Separate Building, duly certified for religious worship, named SALEM CHAPEL, situate at Trafalgar-terrace, Bedminster Down, in the civil parish of Bristol, in the county borough of Bristol, in Bristol registration district, was, on the 29th September, 1928, registered for solemnizing marriages therein, pursuant to 6 & 7 Wm. IV, c.85. Dated 1st October 1928.

It is immediately apparent that this registration took place rather a long time after its first opening. Phil Draper, on his ChurchCrawler website, says this took place in 1892. He describes it as situated "close to Parson Street Station, and well-known for having 'screaming headline notices' posted on its facade to be visible from the main A38".

In the present day, its congregation is described in Places recorded by the Registrar General under the provisions of the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 (2010) as "Free Evangelical Church". It is possible, therefore that the registration applies to the latter's takeover of the building, rather than to its original Methodist Free congregation.

Denomination

Now or formerly Free/United 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 is located at OS grid reference ST5751570529. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Salem Chapel, Bedminster Down, Bristol shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Bristol 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 Bedminster Down, Bristol, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• The Church officiando's “Bible” - Phil Draper's ChurchCrawler (null) (verified 2018-10-16)
• Places recorded by the Registrar General under the provisions of the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 (2010) is available as a "Freedom of Information" document on the website What Do They Know. (verified 2018-10-14)
• 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.