Blue plaque at Southfield Methodist Chapel unveiled

Southfield Methodist Chapel, the oldest Methodist building in Lancashire, revealed the blue plaque commemorating the original builder of the site, William Sagar.

William Sagar built the church dedicated to the founder of Methodism John Wesley, who preached at the site, off Southfield Lane in Nelson.

The church is one of only two known chapels of its kind, with Mr Sagar finishing the build 225 years ago.

The Mayor of Pendle Councillor Brian Newman  and Andrew Stephenson, MP for Pendle, attended the service at the chapel to unveil a blue plaque.

The plaque is unveiled by Mayor Brian Newman and Andrew Stephenson MP (Image: Southfield Methodist Chapel)

The plaque, part of the Methodist Heritage Trail, has been installed below the chapel's datestone from when the building was completed on April 18, 1786.

Following the unveiling ceremony, a representative for the chapel said : “It’s been a tough few years for the chapel, which looked as though it was set to close last year.

“However, through the tenacity of our local and circuit stewards we have managed to get on a better financial footing and look again towards the future.

“It was fitting to celebrate this with the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating the founder of the chapel, local merchant William Sagar, who built it 225 years ago.”

The heritage plaque honours the chapel's builder William Sagar (Image: Southfield Methodist Chapel)

The Mayor of Pendle, Cllr Brian Newman, who opened the curtains to unveil the plaque, added: "“It was a fantastic afternoon.

"Southfield did us proud with things like the food and held a very good reception, including all the people that were there.”

Mr Sagar was a friend of John Wesley, a cleric who led the Methodism movement within the Church of England, and travelled around the country to preach, organising small groups of followers along the way.

His work led to the formation of a number of Wesleyan chapels across the country, such as at Southfield, where followers of Methodism continue to congregate to this day.

Anyone who wishes to join in worship or learn more about the Methodist movement is welcome to attend the chapel, with services held on the first Saturday of each month at 5pm.