Church Micro 12782...Ascote Methodist Chapel
A nice simple cache to bring you the lovely village of Ascote.
A short history of the building, courtesy of: http://www.astcotemethodistchurch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AstcoteHistoryBooklet.pdf
The present Chapel was built in 1874 - the builders were Hintons of Silverstone, a Methodist family. The building was heated by a stove and grate, and lit by lamps and included a copper house and water closet
There is no record of the cost but in 1875 the building was insured for £250 with the Primitive Methodist Insurance Company. The premium was 2s 9d. The renewal premium for the following year was 7s 6d. Even from 1941-1949 it was only insured for £350.
In 1917 the Chapel and School room were renovated and repaired, inside and out, by E.D. Sharman & Son, builders, at a cost of £60 18s 2d with other work costing £37 4s 6d. This included: Coving round floor of church, Stencilling round windows, frieze and dado, New coal stove, New furnace door, Ornamental cresting above entrance lobby, A new access door to the roof.
This door is on the end of the Chapel and is still there today in the roof of the new extension. It was at this time that the pulpit was altered. The original porch has also been altered. There were two doors, one on either side of the lobby leading into the chapel and there were big pews up to the front with smaller ones at the side. (There is now just one door leading to a central aisle).
This work was paid for by the Pearce family, a well known Methodist family in Northampton. In 1916 enquiries were made about purchasing a piece of land adjoining the Chapel. A Mr Pearse of Wood & Co, Estate Agents of 2 Derngate, Northampton dealt with this. In a note dated 21st October, 1916 it states ’willing for you to have the land for £5 providing you pay expenses should the amount be above £1 1s’. It wasn’t until 25th September, 1918 however that this land was eventually purchased.
In 1939 Mr Pinkard paid £1 4s 6d for floor covering. 7 In 1944 12s 5d was paid for cementing the gable end of the Chapel. In 1945 more renovations and repairs: New Doors, 3 Oak sills, Painting windows, door and all wood work At a cost of £15 2s 6d. In 1947 Mr F. Heeler carried out work at a cost of £2 12s He was the caretaker.
During the Second World War 5 shillings was paid annually for War Damage Insurance in case of bombing. The railings in front of the Chapel were removed during the war for munitions. It is not known whether the insurance covered this or not.
In July 1946 the American organ was overhauled for 10s by Maurice Frost of Kislingbury, Pianoforte and Organ Repairer. In 1993 Moulton Methodist Church closed and their organ was put up for sale. Mr David Rowden of Eastcote bought it and had it installed at the Chapel.
It was in 1967 that Astcote Chapel was about to be closed when Harold Starsmore said to the Circuit ‘let me have it and we’ll keep it going’. This he did for 17 years until he retired in 1984. Together with a fulltime job, he took over as Lay Pastor and brought Astcote back to life. He visited members regularly and preached on Sundays.
A Methodist Sunday School was started in September 1990 at Eastcote Baptist Chapel while more suitable facilities were built at Astcote. The Sunday School moved to Astcote in March 1995 where the old kitchen/schoolroom and toilets had been demolished and a two-storey extension had been constructed over two years, mainly by voluntary workers.
In 2006 the pews, pulpit and communion rail were removed to make the Chapel a more flexible and useable space, with upholstered chairs purchased with the proceeds of the sale of the pews. The Chapel was also decorated. Around this time the electric organ, which had been purchased from the proceeds of the Flower Festival, was no longer being used and was donated to a Chapel in South Wales
In 2015 the Chapel windows were replaced with upvc double glazing.
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