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Bethel Chapel,
The Quarry,
Brockhampton, Sevenhampton, Gloucestershire.

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 1834, but we understand it was closed in 1966.

The present village of Brockhampton may owe its present-day fortunes to the purchase of land known as Ford Hey by Paul Pearte Esq. in 1639. He built Brockhampton House, surrounding it with "ornamental parkland, a very beautiful setting for a gentleman's country seat". Though a settlement at Brockhampton predated his arrival, he built "about six stone cottages for his key people... long, low, two storey buildings of one room width and an innovation for his time as staff had not been so well housed hitherto. Most villagers were still living in house of wood, wattle and daub with thatched roofs"

Prior to the early 19th century, villagers would have attended the parish church at Sevenhampton, but by the mid 19th century two distict Baptist congregations had been established. One group had been attending Naunton Baptist Chapel, but they became dissatisfied as it was "getting too Strict for them". So they decided to build their own chapel in the Brockhampton Quarry area, raising the money by subscription. Local stonemasons James and David Denley were largely responsible for its construction, and as they were also lay preachers, they also conducted some of its services.

Their church was called "Bethel", and on Old Maps, for instance OS 1890-1891 1:2,500 it is referred to as "Particular Baptist". It closed in 1966, "probably through lack of support because another Baptist Chapel had been built in the village".

The other group of worshippers began meeting in each other's homes, but in collaboration with Salem Baptist Church in Cheltenham, built their own chapel in Brockhampton about 1850. Labelled as Salem Baptist Chapel on some Old Maps, it is described as a separate entry in this Database. [Source: The Story of Sevenhampton by Ros Stewart (2006)]

Denomination

Now or formerly Particular Baptist.

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 SP0415922158. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Bethel Chapel, Brockhampton, Sevenhampton shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Sevenhampton 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)