Chester, Cheshire

Chester on Wikipedia.

Churches in Blacon, Boughton, Handbridge, Hoole, Newtown, Plas Newton, Saltney and Saltney Ferry, Upton by Chester.

The former Anchorite's Cell on The Groves. Gervase advises that there has been a hermitage here since at least the time of the Norman Conquest. An unlikely local legend has it that King Harold survived the Battle of Hastings, and lived out his days here as a hermit. SJ 4095 6607. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Its grade II* listing says that part of the present structure came from the demolished St. Martin, for which, see below.

The former Anglican Mission by the canal basin on South View Road. It pre-dates a map of 1899. SJ 3993 6665. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Bluecoat School Chapel (the nearest wing) on Upper Northgate Street. Gervase advises that the chapel was also used by the residents of the almshouses of St. John's Hospital, and for the last communion of the condemned from the old Northgate Prison. SJ 4038 6670. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Caldy Valley Community Church (1984) on Caldy Valley Road is shared by the congregations from the U.R.C. (former Boughton Congregational church), and the Methodist congregation from the Central Hall (City Road). Circa SJ 4296 6588. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link, where we learn that the church is now called Caldy Valley Neighbourhood Church.

The former Canal Church, an Anglican Mission, now a private residence. It was photographed from across the canal on Spital Walk. SJ 4176 6667. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. SJ 4060 6646. © Philip Kapp. A postcard, franked 1911, from Steve Bulman's Collection. Three further views 1, 2, 3 - all © Steve Bulman. The interior of the refectory, from an old postcard in Christopher Skottowe's Collection. A modern view can be seen here. Link. Grade I listed.

Chester Castle, Agricola Tower, which has a medieval chapel. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Chester City Mission, on Hunter Street. SJ 4030 6651. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Another view, © Martin Richter (2012). Link, from which we learn that the congregation dates from 1845. Freedom Church (link) also meet here.

Chester University Chapel (1844-7) on Cheyney Road and Parkgate Road. Interior view. SJ 4021 6724. Both © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link. Grade II* listed.

Christadelphian Hall stands on Egerton Street, on the site of a demolished New Connexion Chapel. Circa SJ 4105 6675. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

Christian Science Church on St. Olave Street. Circa SJ 4068 6595. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

City Road Presbyterian Church (English-speaking Presbyterian Church of Wales). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Crewe Street Gospel Hall. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Ebenezer Baptist Church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Eglwy Bresbyteraidd Cymru on St. John Street. © Steve Bulman.

Garden Lane Methodist Church is in the process of uniting with Sealand Road U.R.C. (se below). Another view. Both © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

The former George Street Primitive Methodist Church. Heather Jones had kindly written in to advise me that this is in fact the Temperance Hall. The chapel, demolished many years ago, is shown here. Another view of the Temperance Hall. Both © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
Sandy Calder has clarified, and advises that according to The Origin and History of the Primitive Methodist Church by H. B. Kendall (1906), pp. 554-7, the first building shown here was in fact the original George Street Chapel, only becoming the Temperance Hall when the now-demolished chapel was built.

The Guild Church of St. Peter at the Cross on Eastgate Street is of pre-Norman foundation. 117 SJ 405 663. © Philip Kapp. Another view. © Steve Bulman. Link.

The former Holy Trinity, which now serves as the Guildhall. 117 SJ 403 662. © Philip Kapp.

Matthew Henry's Chapel on Trinity Street (off Watergate Street. © unitarian.co.uk. This, and many other old engravings on this website, are reproduced from the downloadable books on the Unitarian Church Headquarters website here. The books are Pictures of Unitarian Churches by Emily Sharpe (1901) and the 1914 edition of Nonconformist Church Architecture by Ronald P. Jones M.A, (Oxon), and the images are reproduced by kind permission of James Barry of Unitarian Church Headquarters. My appreciation also to Mike Berrell for his efforts in this regard.

All that remains of the Methodist Central Hall is the basement wall, below the raised roadway. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Northgate Church (Pentecostal, originally Congregational). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

Penri Memorial Chapel - "Penri Addoldy Y Bedyddwyr Caerlleon" has a date-stone for May, 1893. 117 SJ 407 666. © Philip Kapp. Another view. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

The former Pepper Street Methodist New Connexion Chapel has a date-stone for 1853. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Quaker Meeting House. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Queen Street Christian Centre (Pentecostal) used to be Welsh Wesleyan. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

All that remains of the former Queen Street Congregational Church is the facade, built into the back of a supermarket. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Recently closed when Gervase took the photo, St. Andrew (U.R.C.) was originally the Matthew Henry Memorial Presbyterian Church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

The former St. Barnabas, now a private residence. Another view. Gervase advises that the last occupants of the church were Greek Orthodox. Both © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

St. Clare (R.C.). © Peter Morgan.

St. Columba (R.C.) on Newton Lane. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

St. Francis' R.C. Church is attached to the Franciscan Friary. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

The former St. James on Housesteads Drive and Hoole Lane is now a Sports and Community Centre. My appreciation to Janet Gimber for the identification. © Peter Morgan (2011).

St. John the Baptist on Vicar's Lane was for centuries Chester Cathedral. SJ 4060 6646. © Jane Marriott. Interior view, © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Smaller than it used to be, ruins stand immediately adjacent. From an old engraving of unknown date in Colin Waters' Collection. Another view, from © Christopher Skottowe's Collection. Link. Grade I listed.

St. John's Wesley Methodist Church on St. John Street. SJ 4076 6623. © Steve Bulman. Link. Grade II listed.

The site of the demolished St. Martin, as seen by Streetview in 2020. Genuki says "founded in 1671. It closed in 1963". This source, which has a photo, says that the font went to St. Mary on the Hill. See also the Anchorite's Cell entry, above. SJ 4035 6605.

A glimpse of St. Mary, on St. Mary's Hill, near the castle. It's better seen in a Streetview from 2017. It's grade I listing describes it as St. Mary's Centre, an "educational centre". SJ 4056 6584. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

The former St. Michael, on Bridge Street and Pepper Street, although of medieval origins, is largely a re-build of 1849-51, and now serves as a heritage centre. SJ 4058 6610. © Steve Bulman. Link. Grade II listed.

The former St. Nicholas on St. Werburgh Street (near the cathedral) was a medieval chapel, but has long been put to more profane usage, including, Gervase advises, as a Victorian music hall - it is so marked on the 25" O.S. map of 1899. The present facade must date to the Victorian Gothic revival. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Grade II listed.

St. Olave on Lower Bridge Street closed in 1861. Another view. SJ 4063 6595. Both © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Grade II listed.

St. Thomas of Canterbury on Parkgate Road. SJ 4020 6724. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

St. Werburgh (R.C.) on Grosvenor Park Road. SJ 4114000 6637. © Jane Marriott. Link. Grade II listed, wherein it's dated to 1873-5.

Sealand Road U.R.C. See also the Garden Lane Methodist Church (above). Gervase advises that there is some local concern regarding the future of this old tin tabernacle. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Spiritualist Church on Commonhall Streeet. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Vicar's Cross U.R.C. - the congregation from Queen Street Congregational Church (see above) moved here. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

The former Welsh Congregational Church on Albion Street. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Zion Tabernacle Protestant Evangelical Church, originally Grosvenor Park Baptist Church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Blacon
Chester Community Church, a former Methodist Chapel. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
Matthew Henry Evangelical Church (1964, replacing an earlier Presbyterian/Unitarian church). Inside, it retains some furnishings from the old building. Built for the ministry of the Bible commentator Matthew Henry, the Unitarians eventually moved on, and an Evangelical church took over the building. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
St. Theresa (R.C., 1959). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
Holy Trinity without the Walls, the parish church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
U.R.C. (1960's). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Boughton
The former Calvinistic Methodist Chapel was later Congregational (though a different congregation). Originally a coach house for Boughton Hall, and converted by Philip Oliver of the hall. The CM congregation now meets at the City Road Presbyterian (see above), while the Congregationalists built the church below. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
The former Congregational Church (1873). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
St. Paul. Gervase explains that although Victorian Gothic, this was remodelled from an earlier Italianate building. Do you have a drawing or photo of the original? © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Two more views - 1, 2, both © Karel Kuča (2023). Link. Grade II* listed.
The former Tarvin Road Methodist Church was built as Primitive Methodist in 1884, and closed in 2009. Another view. Both © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Handbridge
St. Andrew (U.R.C.) was originally Congregational, and is now united with St. Andrew in the city (see above). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.
St. Mary. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Link.

Hoole
All Saints on Hoole Road. Its grade II listing dates it to 1867. SJ 4180 6749. © Mike Berrell. It can be seen without the obscuring foliage here, in a Streetview from 2020. Link.
Hoole Baptist Church (1883). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
Hoole Methodist Church (built as Primitive Methodist, 1903). The original chapel stands at the rear of the later building. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
Hoole U.R.C. on Hoole Road. SJ 422 678. © Mike Berrell.
Former Mission Hall on Westminster Road. Janet Gimber's researches indicate that this building was originally All Saints National School for Boys. Old maps imply it was built no later than the 1870's, but by 1911 it was a Mission Room. It now forms part of an ice-cream factory. Janet was unable to discover a closure date. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Newtown
Christ Church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
New Church (Swedenborgian) on Brook Lane. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
New Town Salvation Army hall. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Plas Newton
Kingsway Chapel (Evangelical). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
St. Michael and All Angels at Plas Newton. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Saltney and Saltney Ferry
Saltney straddles the border with Flintshire. The Flintshire churches are marked "#".
St. Anthony of Padua (R.C.) #. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
St. Mark, the parish church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). Another view. Both © Frank Joinson.
Saltney Christian Centre, previously the Hough Green Methodist Chapel. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010). This same building has also been known as Church of Christ. © Frank Joinson.
Saltney Methodist Church #. The building visible here is a 1961 extension to High Street Chapel, which still exists behind. The extension followed the merging of the congregation with that of Hough Green Chapel (see above). © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
The former Wesleyan Chapel at Saltney Ferry #. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
The former (and derelict) Saltney Ferry Presbyterian Church #. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).

Upton by Chester
Church of the Holy Ascension, the parish church. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
The former Congregational Chapel (1860), which was subsequently a shop, but is now a private residence. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
Upton Baptist Church, a modern build for the congregation which formerly attended Grosvenor Park Baptist. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).
U.R.C. - despite appearances, this is not an entirely modern building. Gervase advises that this is a re-fronting and extension of an early 20th century gothic building. © Gervase N. E. Charmley (2010).