Bridgtown Wesleyan Methodist Church - Now the Bethel Church

The Bethel Church, Bridgtown (formerly the Wesleyan Methodist Church) was built in 1909 is the last of four religious buildings to survive in Bridgtown.

In 2010, it was discovered that parts of the church including the kitchen, were suffering from dry rot and the building was not usable.

The congregation and members of other local community groups, including the children’s Saturday Club, and Slimming World, who meet at the church, have been forced to meet at the community centre.

The church may be closed for good if funds cannot be raised to repair the damage. And there have also been calls for the church to be pulled down.

The congregation set up a fighting fund to help meet the cost of repairs. In October 2010, the fund stood at £1,340.00.

At the launch of Bridgtown and District Local History Society at Bridgtown Working Men’s Club, £130.00 of donations was raised.

Work has begun to save the church but the full extent of the damage is not yet known and the full cost of repairs cannot be calculated.

Anyone wanting to make a donation to help save the church should contact Barry CARTWRIGHT on (01543 503937) or Anne HAZELL on (01543 577965)

By September 2011, the fighting fund stood at £10,000 and work was well under way.