Englesea Brook Chapel Museum

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Mow Cop, just over the border in Staffordshire, got its place in history as the site where the Primitive Methodist movement started. The two founders of the movement - Hugh Bourne (1772-1852) and William Clowes (1780-1851) - described the residents of the area as a bunch of godless people as you could not walk the area without physical or verbal assault.
As there were no churches in the area at the time (1800), Hugh Bourne started prayer-meetings at a local farmhouse. The meetings became very popular and soon the farmhouse was too small. So, following in Wesley's' tradition, and having promised a full day of prayer on Mow Cop, open-air camp meetings began, and thus Primitive Methodism was born on the 31st May 1807. This first meeting lasted 14 hours and ended at 8:00pm! - with a second meeting, 3 months later on Saturday 22nd August 1807, being a day and night affair, starting at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and continuing throughout the night.

Englesea Brook Chapel, near Crewe, has a schoolroom built as a memorial to Hugh Bourne and has now become a museum of Primitive Methodism. They have study-days, group visits, a library and other resources for study and research.

Opening Times
April - November: every Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Bank Holiday Monday, 10.30am-5.15pm; every Sunday, 1.30pm-5.15pm.
August: Tuesdays-Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday, 10.30am - 5.15pm.

For more information, telephone Englesea Brook Chapel & Museum: 01270 820836, or visit the website , or simply pop down to Englesea Brook for a visit.