News / kingswood
‘Exciting new future’ for Grade I listed building
A building which was commissioned in 1741 by one of the founders of Methodism is receiving £400,000 from Historic England to help fund the final phase of its repairs.
Once restoration of the Grade I listed Whitfield Tabernacle in Kingswood is complete, it will become a performance and exhibition space, as well as having a cafe and meeting rooms.
Chair of the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust, reverend Anthony Hick, said the grant “will enable us to fulfil more of the ambitious vision we have developed over the last ten years for this heritage building”.
Rebecca Barrett, South West regional director at Historic England, added: “An exciting new future is now in sight for Whitfield Tabernacle after many years of hard work by the Trust and many other partners.
“We’re delighted to support the final phase of works and look forward to seeing this important building become part of life in Kingswood once again.”
Whitfield Tabernacle (seen here in 2018) was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 1999 after years of disuse and neglect – photo: Historic England
When he visited Bristol in 1739, George Whitefield, also known as George Whitfield, was banned from many Anglican churches because his preaching style was considered to be “too enthusiastic”.
So he went to preach to the miners of Kingswood, attracting crowds of up to 10,000 people.
In 1741, Whitefield commissioned and funded the building of a meeting house on Park Road off Regent Street, with the building named after him and expanded over subsequent decades.
In later years, the Whitfield Tabernacle became part of the Congregational Church and then the United Reformed Church, who used the building until 1992 when its condition had deteriorated to the point that the congregation relocated to another nearby chapel and the building was put up for sale.
It was purchased by the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust in 2019, with their dreams for the building now close to becoming a reality.
Main photo: Whitfield Tabernacle Trust
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