Union Chapel Christian Fellowship

About Us

We are a small, friendly fellowship, a group of very ordinary folk who love The Lord Jesus, and believe that the Bible is the Word of God.   

We seek to reach out to our local Community in any way that The Lord opens up for us. As well as the services we hold at the Chapel, we also have Bible Studies and Prayer Meetings, take meetings in the local Leonard Cheshire Home and meet weekly at a local Residential Retirement Home,

A Brief History of the Chapel

Union Chapel was originally built in 1835  for a united congregation of Protestant Dissenters, Baptists, Moravians and Independents, and registered then as a place of Worship as a Dissenters Meeting House and in 1868 was registered for the solemnisation of marriages. There is a small graveyard at the front of the Chapel, and the outside front facing wall bears the inscription:

'O COME LET US ENTER INTO THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD'

Above the inscription is a square tablet which is inscribed ‘Union Chapel 1835. J Pinnegar Builder’.

The earliest recorded meetings of non-conformers in Kington Langley were at the dwelling house and barn of Richard Dovey in 1742, who certified the house with Philip Peirce, John Bright and John Salter. This was done in accordance with the Toleration Act of 1689 which permitted assembly for religious worship only at places certified by the Bishop of the Diocese. This was not compulsory but those meetings not registered could face prosecution (but most likely harassment) by magistrates. After the Toleration Act of 1812 certification became compulsory.

James Pinneger was the occupier of a house which became certified for use as a meeting house for ‘Independents’ in December 1834. James Pinnegar was a builder and mason, and in September 1835 he built Union Chapel. The chapel was certified as a newly erected building in the occupation of William Tanner, Benjamin Pegler and other Independents in September 1835. The Minister for the chapel was Benjamin Rees of Chippenham. The Union Chapel was placed in trust for the joint use of Moravians, Independents and Baptists. Inside is a single rear gallery supported by two iron columns. It had a pulpit and the lower seating was renewed in the late 19th century; some of the original box pews remained in the gallery in the 1930s.

The present Union Chapel in Middle Common was built in 1835 in coursed rubble with ashlar dressings and a slate roof.

In the middle of the 19th century the Chapel Choir met at a Chapel goer’s house on Sundays – the cottage opposite the Chapel near Stock corner. They also had a band and used wind instruments such as flutes and violas. They had tea at the cottage and then walked over to attend Chapel. When it was dark the adults used to go in front carrying tallow candles.

The Chapel was independent when it was built and has remained so throughout its history.
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