History of Barnard Castle Church

A short history of Barnard Castle Methodist Church

The Methodist Church evolved under the leadership of an Anglical Priest, John Wesley. Methodist fellowship in Barnard Castle first began in 1747 with a small group of men and women meeting every evening in a house in Galgate to read the Bible and the works of John Wesley, to sing hymns and to pray.

Four more places of Wesleyan Methodist worship followed with the 'Hole in the Wall' meeting house (1750-1765), Broadgates Chapel (1765-1823) opened by Wesley himself, the new chapel in Wycliffe Yard (1823-1894) and the present building opening on 30th March 1894 as the Trinity Wesleyan Methodist Church.

There was also a Primitive Methodist Chapel on Newgate, preceded by a small building in what is still known as Ranters Yard.

In 1932 the Wesleyand and Primitive united and in 1974 the Newgate Chapel closed with members joining Trinity in what is now known as Barnard Castle Methodist Church.