Walk in Bristol
with Richie
John Wesley's Chapel
The New Room
New Room, 36 The Horsefair, Bristol BS1 3JE
Official website:
https://www.newroombristol.org.uk/
Tel: 0117 926 4740
The New Room is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol, England.
It was built in 1739 by John Wesley and is the oldest Methodist chapel in the world.
5 Nearest Attraction
1. Broadmead
(0,2 mile - 3 min walking)
2. Bearpit
(0,1 mile - 2 min walking)
3. Cabot Circus
(0,3 mile - 7 min walking)
5. Castle Park
(0,2 mile - 4 min walking)
6. Bristol Bus and Coach Station
(0,2 mile - 5 min walking)
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Click to the postcode to check the map .
Nearest Public Toilet
Cabot Circus Shopping Centre (Community Toilet Scheme)
Accessible
Glass House, Broadmead, BS1 3BX
Lower ground floor and floor 3 management suite
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Richie's opinion :
"It's a shame for me, but I didn't visit this historical and religious-historical place inside.
My excuse is that I usually on Saturdays or Sundays go to the Broadmead and either I make a quick shopping or the place isn’t open that time, but better late, than never... ;) "
History
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The New Room was built in 1739 under the direction of John Wesley—he called it "our New Room in the Horsefair"—making it the oldest Methodist chapel in the world.
Above the chapel are the rooms in which Wesley and other preachers stayed.
The chapel includes a double-decker pulpit, which was common at the time, and an octagonal lantern window to reduce the amount paid in Window tax.
In addition to meetings and worship, the New Room was used as a dispensary and schoolroom for the poor people of the area.
The pews and benches were made from old ship timber.
The Baldwin and Nicholas Street Methodist groups combined to form the United Society, which met at the New Room from 3 June 1739.
Wesley insisted that meetings at the New Room should only be held outside of Anglican church hours as he wanted Methodism to complement rather than compete with Anglican worship.
In 1748 it was extended, possibly by the Quaker architect George Tully because of the stylistic similarities with the Friends' Meeting House at Quakers Friars of the same period.
John Wesley believed that liturgical worship should be carried out in churches, and only reluctantly allowed the enlarged New Room to comply with the Toleration Act of 1689 making it a formal place of worship.
Wesley lived at the New Room from 1748 to 1771 and administered Holy Communion there when his brother Charles Wesley was away.
Wesley added to the Methodist offer in Bristol by selling his published works from a bookstore in the New Room. Analysis of the complete printed output of Bristol between 1695 and 1775 shows that over half was written by Methodists.
After Wesley's death the property passed into the hands of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists.
In 1929, it was given back to the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
The John Snetzler Chamber Organ of 1761 is a 20th-century addition following the restoration of the building in 1929 by Sir George Oatley.
A garden in the Broadmead Courtyard was opened on 24 May 2011 by the Lord Mayor of Bristol.
This was followed by the opening of the Horsefair Visitor Centre on 13 July 2017 by the Duke of Gloucester.
The new facilities include a cafe, library and archive and conference and education facilities plus an expanded museum in the preachers' rooms above the chapel.
About The New Room
The New Room is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol. As the oldest purpose-built Methodist meeting house, it has been designated by Historic England as a grade I listed building, and is the only piece of land in Broadmead for which the freehold has not been bought by Bristol City Council during expansion after World War II.
The courtyards around the building contain statues of John Wesley and his brother Charles.
Parking
The New Room is located in the heart of Broadmead, also known as Bristol Shopping Quarter.
For SatNav use postcode BS1 3JE.
The nearest car park is The Galleries Bristol which has the postcode BS1 3DQ. Please click on the link below for more information; www.galleriesbristol.co.uk/get-in/
Alternatively, the next nearest car park is Cabot Circus Bristol which has the postcode BS2 9AB.
Please click on the link below for more information;
www.cabotcircus.com/visitor-info/parking
Once parked, please follow the finger signs for The New Room/John Wesley's Chapel.
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Contact :
General e-mail enquiries - info@newroombristol.org.uk
Media and Press enquiries-
marketing@newroombristol.org.uk
Venue hire enquiries - venuehire@newroombristol.org.uk
Volunteering - volunteering@newroombristol.org.uk
Telephone number: 0117 9264740
Cafe telephone number: 07491 649794
Address: 36 The Horsefair, Bristol, BS1 3JE.
Venue Hire at the New Room
The New Room has been a venue for people to meet and engage with since John Wesley opened the building in 1739. Their offer of hospitality continues today with four distinct spaces available for hire on the site: the 18th century chapel; the 21st century Horsefair Courtyard building and atrium space; and two dedicated meeting rooms.
Chapel at the New Room
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The chapel we see today is as it would have been in 1748 except for the central block of pews.
The original seats were the benches you can see on either side of the Chapel and in the gallery.
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Museum at the New Room
The Museum at the New Room tells the story of John and Charles Wesley and eighteenth-century Methodism and its relevance today.
Explore 12 rooms which bring to life the work of early Methodism.
During your visit you will discover what life was like in Georgian Bristol and how Methodism spread throughout Britain, America and across the rest of the world.
Admission Prices
Adults £7
Seniors (65+) £6
Student £6
Children (5-16) £4
Children (under 5) Free
Carer of disabled visitor Free
Family tickets:
1 adult and up to 3 children £10
2 adults and all children £15
Additional children - £2 per child
Tickets are valid for one year, and include a free audio guide.
Please note, these prices will be subject to review in 2021.
Library at the New Room
The Reference Library at the New Room contains over 9,000 books, pamphlets and bound journals of Methodist history, local studies, biographies, and critical studies of John and Charles Wesley and their works.
Opening Times
(closed on Bank Holidays)
Monday 10.30am - 1pm
Tuesday 10.30am - 1pm
Wednesday 10.30am - 1pm
Friday 10.30am - 1pm
Shop at the New Room
The shop at the New Room has a full range of souvenirs and publications including:
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Mugs, plates, tea towels, tote bags, Burns crystal, St Justin jewellery and statuettes of John and Charles Wesley
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A range of greetings cards, postcards and stationery
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Books about John and Charles Wesley, the early Methodists and
The New Room -
Bibles, prayer books and Bible reading notes
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Singing the Faith hymnbooks in words and large print
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Unique books of music especially commissioned by the New Room
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DVDs and CDs relating to the Wesleys
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Methodist publications and our own New Room publications
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New titles available include acclaimed biographies of the first Methodist lay preacher, John Cennick, and one of the first female preachers, Grace Murray.
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A history of the New Room - 'The Cradle of Methodism'
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A book for children about the adventures of John Wesley and his horse, told by his horse - 'Gospel's Story'.
New Room publications can also be purchased in their online shop.
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Cafe at the New Room
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The cafe is open from 9.30am-4pm Monday to Saturday.
The Cafe offers a delicious range of drinks, cakes and light lunches as well as afternoon teas and daily specials.
The café caters for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets, and carnivores can be reassured to know that the meat is locally sourced from MJ Dalton’s butchers on Gloucester Road.
Most of the food sold in the 50-seater café is produced in-house, with the exception of the gluten-free range, plus the bread, which is provided by Hobbs House Bakery.