Our History

Highcliffe on Sea Methodist Church History

The Primitive Methodist Chapel was built in 1908 on land given by John Frampton, a Highcliffe Christian businessman, who ran a hardware store where the Highcliffe garage now stands. The building stood back from the road by about 50 feet with a path leading to it between lawns. There was an entrance hall with doors on either side. Pine panelling up to the windows matched the benches, which were about 5 feet long and the backs were on pivots so that they could be swung from front to back, making them useful for Sunday school classes. The chapel was heated by a "Tortoise" stove half way down the chapel. There were two rooms at the rear, one used as a class room and the other contained a copper room, two earth closets and a coal cupboard to supply the Tortoise stove. The building was lit by gas.

Over the years many changes have taken place, and on Sunday 4 April 1962 it was announced that a tender had been accepted to build a new church and halls. The last service in the chapel was on 21 October 1962. On Wednesday 19 June 1963 the new church was opened with two services: the official opening in the afternoon and a public Service of Thanksgiving in the evening.

In 1988 there were celebrations of thanksgiving for a church which had grown from a tiny seed in 80 years. Although there were a number of young people both on Sunday and at Guides and Boys' Brigade, there was a shortage of leaders.
Like many churches numbers reduced, so that it was decided to hold only one service on Sundays, but the Wednesday worship has continued into a short act of worship.

Guides and Brownies have continued but the Boys' Brigade has unfortunately closed. The Women's Fellowship group has gone from strength to strength and the passion for God in all that we do in His name has not diminished.

God's mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23)