Todmorden Unitarian Chapel, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
The Situation: The Chapel was built between 1864 and 1869 by the three sons of ‘Honest John’ Fielden, the reformist mill-owner and Radical MP. He had been of Quaker stock, but turned to Methodism and was then persuaded to follow Joseph Cooke’s breakaway brand of Methodist Unitarianism. He died in 1849, and his sons built the Chapel in the 1860s both in honour of his memory, and to house the growing local Unitarian community. Their plans went well beyond a mere enlarged meeting house, and they commisioned a building of considerable splendour, with the original chapel eventually becoming a Sunday School. It was designed by John Gibson, who had been a member of Charles Barry’s team at the Houses of Parliament. The new Chapel soon became much loved and remained a thriving centre of the faith until well into the 20th century. At the start, the building and its grounds were the property of the Fielden family, but in 1882 an endowment fund was established to give the church a degree of independence. However, as the years went by there was an increasing shortage of funds to maintain the building, and despite a great burst of activity in the centenary year of 1969, it was finally closed in 1987, with meetings then held in the lodge until 1992. Vandalism and decay set in, but despite its Grade I listed status, various schemes suggested for the church’s preservation came to nothing.
Vision/goals:The Historic Chapels Trust initiated a large renovation programme. They planned to repair the boundary walls around the graveyard, restore and upgrade the listed lodge in the grounds, improve surface drainage, conserve a second burial ground, repair the monuments in the chapel, and renovate the Chapel building inside & out . They decided to offer the Church as a location for concerts, meetings, conferences & other events.
What was the funding strategy? The total cost to 2008 has been £883, 000. The local committee worked hard to raise funds. The main funding came from English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Landfill Community Fund, private trusts, and individual donations, some of which were recruited by the HCT. The local community and local newspaper were very supportive.
What lessons were learnt? The heating system took longer to install than anticipated, and there were problems over the location of lavatories. The boundary walls still need to be repaired, as do the bell frame and the vandalised organ. Frequent Open Days held while the repairs were ongoing helped to maintain public interest.
Outcomes: The building is now well on the way to being completely restored. It provides the location for a wide variety of events throughout the year. The rent from the lodge contributes to the cost of heating the Chapel.
Social Cohesion: The local organising committee organizes an all year programme of concerts, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, films shows, and talks. Marriage blessings and wedding receptions have been held at the Chapel, as well as other events in the ornamental grounds. Hundreds of people now come to what used to be an empty Chapel.
Many other people may be interested in what you have achieved and may like to get in touch to talk to you or arrange to pay a visit? Are you willing to be contacted and if so, can you give details of a contact person? Jenny Freeman
