File:Methodist Church, Fulwood Road-Ashgate Road, Broomhill - geograph.org.uk - 1141785.jpg

English: Methodist Church, Fulwood Road/Ashgate Road, Broomhill Just here, where this building now stands, was a Caretaker’s House, which adjoined an earlier church. The earlier Wesleyan Church was of 1866–67. It was built in the decorated Gothic style, at a cost of £5,600. That house was the home of my Grandfather and Grandmother. I also lived there from birth to about the age of three (1942–45) and was christened in that church. The old church had problems, which developed in the mid 1970s. There were signs of serious structural problems and to compound these, the spire was struck by lightning, during or around 1980. A structural survey was carried out, which found that the walls were leaning outwards allowing the roof to settle and so the church and house was demolished in 1982. The new church was opened on 15th February 1998.

The Caretaker’s House was 26 Ashgate Road, Broomhill. It was situated here on the side of the steep hill and the gateway was on the right-hand side going up Ashgate Road. Entrance was through a wrought iron gate, past the dustbin and a very tiny bit of garden on the left, then up the winding steps and small path, to the front door. To the left was a small garden from which an old-fashioned rose grew up a trellis and over the doorway. To the right of the doorway stood a dolly tub on three bricks, which usually contained some dried–out plant. The doorway followed the theme of the church and had a low pointed arch with matching door. Catmint grew in the small garden, and Solomon Seal and Montbretia grew in the tiny patch behind the dustbin. Virginia Creeper covered the walls from garden to roof.

The House – Ground floor:

Entrance Hall - Through the entrance door and on the ground floor was a hall about 8x9feet.

Lounge - Leading off almost ahead of the entrance hall was the lounge. Inside and to the left of the doorway was a speaker tube and whistle into the church. It comprised of a lead pipe with a bakelite cone at each end into which slotted a whistle. Anyone wishing to speak to a person in the church would take out the whistle in the lounge and blow hard. The whistle would then sound in the church at the other end and anyone in there would take out the whistle at their end and listen or speak.

To the extreme left was an easy chair, which sat in an alcove next to the chimney breast. The large chimney breast had a coal fire. In the alcove on the far side, was a floor to ceiling cupboard, almost all glass fronted. It contained collections of willow pattern crockery and pewter and glassware. Below these were books and several copies of The Illustrated London News, which was first printed in 1842. The copies contained war stories and I also remember profiles of new locomotives bound for India and Africa. Opposite the doorway was a long low cupboard with a window above. On the windowsill above the cupboard was a tall Victorian figurine of a boy with fishing rod. Against the right-hand wall, a chest of drawers with a chair on either side and in the centre of the room, facing the fire, was a settee.

Dining Room/Kitchen - To the right of the lounge and entrance hall was the dining room/kitchen. Straight ahead in the kitchen was a large pine table in a knocked about condition. In the drawer was cutlery, foreign coins, buttons sealing wax, hemp string and a folding wool–winder and other bits and bobs. Around it were hoop backed bentwood chairs with ply seats with a drilled hole patterned effect. Ahead on the far wall and to the left, was a wooden left-hand draining board to a pot sink, both over a pale green cupboard with plywood sliding doors. To the right of the sink was a grey coloured, black flecked gas cooker and top mounted grill. Above all of these was a pale green wall mounted cupboard with sliding doors.

At the right-hand side of the far wall was a corner wall, which was set at 45 degrees and it contained a large sash window. Through this window, you could see all the way down Ashgate Road. There was an Elderberry tree outside the window, from which grandfather gathered berries for Elderberry wine. The right-hand wall contained a very large black–leaded range set in a chimney breast. It had a coal fire, an oven and a smaller oven on the top for keeping food hot and was surrounded by a very tall fireplace. The mantle shelf, about 6ft high, had various bits and bobs on top, above which hung a very wide narrow mirror that was angled downwards so that you could see yourself. To the right of the range was a floor to ceiling cupboard which contained pots and pans and crockery and at the very bottom shoes, shoe polish and dusters. The cupboard and mantle shelf were pale terracotta in colour. To the right of the door and on the wall between the kitchen and the walk-in pantry was a radio with the ‘sunburst’ fretwork cut-out for the speaker. Beneath was a small low–slung easy chair. From the ceiling hung an old fashioned clothes airer.

Walk-in Pantry – To the extreme right of the entrance hall, was the walk-in pantry. The pantry had the same-sized window as the kitchen and was shelved throughout, to the left and right and under the window.

Back to the Entrance Hall - Behind the entrance door to the right of the hall was a treadle sewing machine, which trapped my fingers a few times when playing with it and behind that was an umbrella stand with umbrellas, swords, bayonets and walking sticks. Just the thing to leave around for small children to play with!

In the entrance hall and between lounge and dining room/kitchen was a short length of wall and in front of it stood an oak veneered writing bureau, with a drop–down lid.

Staircase - At the extreme left of the entrance hall doorway were stairs leading to the first floor. These returned half-way via a small landing. About three steps up the stairs from the entrance hall and to the left was a small window.

Cellar steps - To the far side of the staircase were stone steps leading down to the cellar door. At the bottom of the steps and quite high above, was a built–in cupboard. To the left and under the staircase, was the cellar door.

Cellar and garden - Through the cellar door, the steps turned to the left and down to the brick–built cellar floor. Down in the cellar there was an open doorway to the left, which led into the large main cellar. In the centre, supported by two stone walls, was a huge stone slab on which stood a meat safe and a cobbler’s last. Further on, past the main cellar, you turned to the left and headed for the steps up which you climbed to the rear cellar door and rear garden. Here, there was coal store to the right, which was filled from the street outside.

Rear Garden – It was cultivated for growing fruit and vegetables. To the left and against the house wall there was a chicken house and run, with about 6 chickens. A cinder path (Cinders were from the boiler) ran up the garden. Beyond the garden, fenced–off, was a large mains transformer.

Back upstairs, to the First floor

First Floor Landing - As you reached the top of the stairs there was a large landing the size of the entrance hall.

Master Bedroom - To the left of the landing and over the lounge, was the master bedroom. It was modelled on the lounge in size and shape and contained a double-bed, which faced the chimney breast, a wardrobe in the alcove, a chest of drawers to the left, blanket chest under the window and I think small tables either side of the bed.

Second bedroom – To the right of the master bedroom was a bedroom the size of the kitchen below. It had a three–quarter bed, a chair, a washbasin and a small wardrobe.

Bathroom - Facing the top of the stairs was the bathroom, which was situated over the pantry.

More on the landing - On the wall between the small bedroom and the bathroom was a print called ‘I is good now’, a little girl with tears in eyes. I think the illustration was by Mabel Lucy Atwell. Underneath was a chair with a wicker seat. To the right of the bathroom door and in between the wall and a large chest of drawers was a wicker clothes basket.

Upper staircase - On the extreme right of the landing were stairs to the second floor, with a window identical to that on the downstairs flight. These stairs were arranged as those below.

Second Floor Landing

Landing - At the top of the second flight, there was a much smaller landing than below. The facing wall was much nearer than that on the landing below and it contained no doors. This floor had just one large L-shaped Loft Bedroom, with an entrance door to the left.

L-shaped Loft Bedroom - The door to this one large loft bedroom was at the left, as in the master bedroom below. As you opened the door the facing wall beyond was nearer than below to allow for the sloping eaves. To the left of the eaves was a very low entrance door to a small loft space and the entrance door to the church. Turn right inside the room and face in the direction of what would be the bathroom downstairs and there was a single bed to the left of you, two large windows in the facing wall and in the L-shape to the right another single bed. I remember small cupboards and a dressing table, but not much else. I think the eaves wall were too low to stand tall wardrobes.

Small Loft Space - This small loft contained an old wind–up gramophone, several old records, wooden jigsaws and wooden toys. There was a door almost opposite the eaves bedroom door, outside of which was a small flight of wooden steps that led down into the Meeting Room/Ladies Room, that was situated in the church.

The Church

Meeting Room/Ladies Room - The large room was arranged with chairs all around the perimeter, it had a huge carpet in the centre and large windows looked out to the south. Almost opposite the loft stairs was the doorway to the church upstairs landing.

Church Upstairs Landing – To the right of centre was the vestry. At the far end a door led into the church proper. Entrance to the church was on the right, but inside, it was the left–hand side of the church, with the pews facing you. To the left of the landing, a flight of stairs led down and then turned right onto a short landing and then right and on down to an entrance/exit hallway and the church hall.

First Entrance/Exit Hallway– This hallway had an entrance/exit door led outside to the dustbins, but if you turned to the right and walked forward a little way you could get out onto Ashgate Road. Also, opposite this street entrance/exit, was the rear garden entrance/exit and to the right two small rooms. One was always kept locked. The other contained a workbench and maintenance tools and equipment. To the left was a passageway that ran behind the kitchen to the church hall.

Church Hall – The large hall was beneath the church. During the war, this hall was used as a canteen for soldiers of the Home Guard, and later, by the Post Office as a Sorting House. On entering, there was a stage to the right. Turn left and about half way along the hall was a doorway to the second entrance/exit hallway.

Second Entrance/Exit – From the church hall, the doorway led to a kitchen, which was to the left. Ahead was a staircase, which led up to the church and another staircase up inside the tower. To the right was a second entrance/exit door, which led to short pathway and onto Ashgate Road, just up the road from the Caretaker’s House. To the right of the path was a spinney of Sycamores and another gateway to Ashgate Road.

Back into the Church Hall – Opposite this doorway was another doorway, which led to a third entrance/exit hallway. The door to the outside was usually kept locked and hardly ever used. With three entrance/exits, it would only have been put in use in an emergency situation. Off this hallway there were two rooms separated by a corridor. To the left a cloakroom, to the right was a snooker room, with full–size table.

Church Entrance Hall and Church Interior - The main entrance to the church was from Fulwood Road. It had double-doors and led into a wide, tiled entrance hall. Doors at either end of the hall led into the church and the balcony. There were two aisles with wooden pews left and right and a double row at centre. I believe there were tiered benches on the balcony, which ran across the rear of the church and along each side, but I’m not 100% sure as I hardly ever went up there. At the far end of the church, between the two aisles, was a huge pipe organ. The left–hand aisle of the church led to the upstairs landing and vestry. The right–hand aisle led to the tower staircase. The pulpit stood very tall and had a winding staircase.

Tower Staircase – There was no handrail or handhold of any description up the tower staircase and the steps were very steep and winding and very unnerving to climb. I never ventured to the top of the stairs, but wish I now had the opportunity.

The only other places worth mentioning are the boiler house and the coke heap.

Coke Heap – It was to the left of front of the church, in a gap between the church and Prices, the fashion shop next door. The gap is now taken up by the new church – https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/988144) It had a double–gated opening, wide enough for a tipper lorry body to fit through. The drop was 6–8ft. Difficult to estimate, as there was usually tons of coke tipped there. A steep inclined concrete path led down to the boiler house, which was adjacent to and just above the side entrance/exit of the church. The coke was barrowed down the path in a very heavy wooden wheelbarrow and tipped into a store adjacent to the boiler house. It could also be barrowed directly into the boiler house, as there was room for a few loads in there.

Boiler House – The boiler was in a cellar, probably beneath the kitchen in the church. It accessed by a ramp, down from the path outside. The boiler was quite large and easily took a barrow load of coke. I spent many an hour, in my early teens, wheeling coke down to the coke store.

End Note - Wealthy people from the Steel Industry passed this church on their way to and from their houses in the influential parts of town. Some attended the church. One such was Lady Osbourne of Osbourne Steels. She presented me with a monogrammed silver spoon at my christening.