Porch Cottage and the Methodist Chapel in 1906
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From notes by David Woodcock on the history of Froyle Methodist Chapel At the March, 1860, Local Preachers’ Meeting of the Guildford Circuit of the Wesleyan Methodists it
was decided that Froyle should come on the plan. Things moved
quickly and in that same year a site was purchased from William
Messenger and a start made on erecting the present Chapel. The
Trustees appointed at that time were John Benjafield (farmer),
Albert Hiscock (farmer), John Chubb (blacksmith),
John Goddard (shepherd) and Uriah Benjafield (believed
to be a wheelwright from Holybourne) and six from other churches
in the circuit. William Hall, a shoemaker from Upper Froyle,
was one of the witnesses of the conveyance. The Chapel was built
of stone with brick quoins at a cost of £260 and a date,
1861, can be seen crudely inscribed on a stone in the north west
wall of the building. It was officially opened in 1862 and had,
until 1998, the honour of being the oldest Methodist Chapel still
in use for worship in this area.
By the late 1980s membership was
falling even though members of Crondall Methodist Church had
joined Froyle in 1979, following the closure of their own church.
Perhaps the writing was already on the wall for Froyle’s
building. The Chapel was rewired in 1990 and in 1991 work was
carried out on the roof, the entrance and the schoolroom. Further
roof repairs were carried out in 1995, but with falling numbers
- only 8 by now - and mounting costs, it was obvious that the
Chapel could not be kept open. The Minutes of a meeting of the
Church Council held on Thursday, 27th November, 1997, tell the
sad story
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