Two centuries of tradition to endwith Methodists church closure

MORE than two centuries of tradition will disappear in the Calder Valley next year when Luddenden Methodist Church will shut its doors for the last time.

Members of the congregation of the Midgley and Luddenden church have decided to cease worship in the present church from January 16, 2011 when a special Covenant service will be held.

Church secretary Rodney Collinge said: “In recent years, the number of people attending has declined rapidly to just 12 regular members.

“The church has also had three outbreaks of dry rot during the last five years, with the bill to cure the latest one being estimated in the region of 10,000.

“These two problems together have, therefore, caused this decision to close.’’

The closure will mean that there will no longer be large hall in Luddenden for organisations such as the Guides and Brownies to meet, as well as many others which also used the church premises.

Minister Rev Tony Buglass said: “It is sad but it has been on the cards for some time. At one point there were three Methodist churches in Luddenden alone and that has now reduced to one.

“When I first came here six years ago we had 15-20 people every Sunday but we have had a number of deaths and a number of people have moved away.

“Nevertheless we wanted to continue while we were able to but earlier in the year our treasurer said we were holding our own financially unless something big happens and the dry rot was just that – by the time it was found it was fairly serious.

“The Luddenden Methodist church didn’t have the money to pay so they had to turn to the Upper Calder Methodist Circuit to pay the bill for them. As a congregation we simply can’t afford to maintain that building anymore.

“We are looking at various options for members – there is the possibility of meeting in community rooms in Midgley or at one of the other Methodist churches in the valley.

“We will keep the church open until Christmas and the various community groups will still have use of the premises until then.

“The building will be sold and as we are a charity it will have to be sold to the highest bidder – it has got a lot of potential for development.

“Apart from the dry rot problem the rest of the building is solid and a developer could convert it into flats for example.’’

Rev Buglass has explained the situation to villagers at a public meeting and a small committee has been set up to investigate the possibility of acquiring a community space in the village.

Luddenden is second only to Heptonstall in establishing a Methodist place of worship in the upper Calder Valley.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, was a frequent visitor to the Calder Valley, and often stayed at Ewood in Midgley.

On August 26, 1748, he wrote: “I preached twice at Heptonstall, then rode to Midgley. Many flocked from all parts, to whom I preached till nearly an hour after sunset”.

A man called John Sutcliffe from Ewood heard Wesley preaching there, and in 1779, set up a class meeting in Midgley. In 1787, a small house was bought in Luddenden, on the site of the present playground at the bottom of Halifax Lane for a Chapel

By 1808, this was no longer big enough, and Luddenden Ebenezer Chapel was built across the road, opening in 1812.

By this time, there were churches at Luddenden Foot,two in Luddenden, at Midgley and also at Luddenden Dean, beyond the Cat I’th Well Inn.

Luddenden Ebenezer and Luddenden Foot churches closed down in the 1960s, Luddenden Dean in the 1980s and Midgley in 1994.