Walton Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was opened in 1883. It was one of a series opened during the dynamic ministry of Rev Hugh Price Hughes.
Unlike its more modest contemporaries, the Walton Street chapel was to be ‘designedly artistic in its character’ and suitable for a ‘service musical and liturgical’. In other words, it was to appeal to a more affluent congregation than, for example, the mission chapel in William Street which was opened the same year. A substantial red brick building in the gothic style, Walton Street had seating for 450 people and cost £3000.
The architect was London-based Thomas Mullett Ellis ARIBA, the son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister, who had previously been commissioned to design a Methodist Church on Malta. The foundations stone was ceremonially laid by Edward Holden Esq. on Thursday 17th May 1883.
14 members of the church were killed in the First World War.
Seat rents were collected between 1927 and 1939 (and quite possibly prior to that). This was a way members could help clear outstanding debt caused by the building work. In 1933, the Jubilee was celebrated with an interesting programme of events. Records of seat rents and a programme from the Jubilee can be seen in the archive at the Oxfordshire History Centre.
Following the closure of the building in 1946, the brass war memorial plaque was removed and installed in Wesley Memorial Church where it remains today.
Walton Street Chapel was demolished in 1966. Kingston Court now stands on the site. The organ from the chapel was moved to Lime Walk Methodist Church.
Baptism and Marriage record from the Chapel can be also accessed at the Oxfordshire History Centre.
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I can confirm that the organ is still in place at Lime Walk.
Your assistance in helping to move it, when renovations to the floor were needed, is still remembered and much appreciated!
As far as I can tell the organ (made by Martin of Oxford) from this church is the one now at Lime Walk Methodist Church although the action was converted to direct electric at some point. In recent years when the floor under it needed replacing I guided some members of the church in moving it away from the rotting floor and then re-instating it without the strange cladding it had for many years thus revealing its original façade. It seems the organ had been rebuilt at some point either before or during its time in Walton Street.
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