New Room, Bristol
Encyclopedia
The New Room is a historic building in Broadmead
Broadmead
Broadmead is a street in the central area of Bristol, England, which has given its name to the principal shopping district of the city.- History :The name of the street was first recorded in 1383 as Brodemede...

, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

It was built in 1739 by John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...

 and is 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
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...

, which was common at the time, and an octagonal lantern window to reduce the amount paid in Window tax
Window tax
The window tax was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France and Scotland during the 18th and 19th centuries. Some houses from the period can be seen to have bricked-up window-spaces , as a result of the tax.-Details:The tax was introduced in England and Wales under...

. In addition to meetings and worship the New Room was used a dispensary and schoolroom for the poor people of the area. The pews and benches were made from old ship timber.
The courtyards around the building contain statues of John Wesley and his brother Charles
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...

.

In 1748 it was extended possibly by the Quaker George Tully because of the stylistic similarities with the Friends’ Meeting House at Quakers Friars
Quakers Friars
Quakers Friars is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol, England.The site is the remains of a Dominican friary, Blackfriars that was established by Maurice de Gaunt, circa 1227....

 of the same period. After Wesley's death the property passed into the hands of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists
Welsh Methodist revival
The Welsh Methodist revival was an evangelical revival that revitalised Christianity in Wales during the 18th century. Methodist preachers such as Griffith Jones, William Williams and Howell Harris were such powerful speakers that they converted thousands of people back to the church...

. In 1909 it was given back to the Methodist Church. The John Snetzler
John Snetzler
John Snetzler was an organ builder of Swiss origin who worked mostly in England.He was born in Schaffhausen, in 1710 and died in Schaffhausen, 28 September 1785...

 Chamber Organ of 1761 is a 20th century addition following the restoration of the building in 1929 by Sir George Oatley
George Oatley
Sir George Herbert Oatley was an English architect noted for his work in Bristol, especially the gothic Wills Memorial Building, for which he was knighted in 1925.-Early life:...

.

It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

 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. Plans are currently under development for a visitor centre to be created.

See also

  • Charles Wesley's House
    Charles Wesley's House
    -External links:*...

     (Bristol)
  • Wesley's Chapel
    Wesley's Chapel
    Wesley's Chapel is a chapel in London which was built by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The site also is now both a place of worship and a visitor attraction, incorporating the Museum of Methodism and John Wesley's House...

     (London)
  • Churches in Bristol
    Churches in Bristol
    The English city of Bristol has a number of churches.The churches listed are Anglican except when otherwise noted.- External links :*...

  • Grade I listed buildings in Bristol
    Grade I listed buildings in Bristol
    There are 100 Grade I listed buildings in Bristol, England according to Bristol City Council. The register includes many structures which for convenience are grouped together in the list below....


External links

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