A brief history

St. John's has the distinction of being the thirteenth oldest Methodist chapel in continuous use in the UK. The chapel, built of gritstone and slate, dates from 1782, and is a grade 2 listed building. John Wesley, who was a regular visitor to Hayfield at that time, is believed to have opened it. The adjoining Sunday school was established in 1795 in a garret in Market street, and moved to the present schoolrooms in 1884. As well as biblical studies the teaching then included the 3 R's.

In the early 19th century, numerous people connected with Hayfield Methodism joined the ministry. Perhaps the most well known of these was the Rev John Barber who was twice elected to the office of  President of the Methodist Conference - a rare honour. He became known also as a defender of religious freedom, in that he roused the Methodist people into action against a Bill presented to the House of Lords in 1811, which threatened the position of dissenting non-conformists. As a result it was withdrawn.

The chapel's Pipe organ dates from 1878 and was restored in 1966. It is still well maintained and in regular use. The chapel interior was refitted in 1908, when the porch was also added. The beautiful stained glass windows were inserted as a gift in the 1950's.  A photo gallery of them can be found here). More recent additions have been the pulpit and lectern falls, commissioned from Juliet Hemingway (other customers include the Archbishop of Canterbury and Sir Cliff Richard!).

The interior has recently undergone extensive redevelopment completed in 2001. More information, including before and after photo galleries, can be found here and here. Fuller details of the redevelopment are on our redevelopment page.

The chapel has been in continuous use as a place of worship for the last 227 years, by candlelight, gas light and electric light. Its congregation has worn crinolines and miniskirts. Its history is intertwined with the life of the village. Today it is a focal point for worship and service. Tomorrow it will grow and develop to God's praise and glory.

We believe we are called by Christ to enable this beautiful building to serve the needs of our village and beyond in the third millennium.  Please enquire if you need more detail about our history or if you would like to help us.