Brunswick Methodist Church

About Brunswick Methodist Church

Brunswick is listed Grade II and stands in a quiet courtyard off Northumberland Street, which is why thousands of shoppers walk past the end of Brunswick Place without noticing it. Historic England records the building as dated 1820 in the pediment; it opened in February 1821 at a cost of £6,726. Its architect is genuinely disputed, with sources variously naming William Jenkins and W. Sherwood of Hull, and Historic England's own entry naming nobody. The detail that catches most first-time visitors out is the plan: the main worship space is on the first floor, reached up a stair from the entrance, so the ground floor reads as halls and meeting rooms rather than a chapel.

Brunswick replaced John Wesley's Orphan House, which stood at 49 to 53 Northumberland Street and was Methodism's base in the North East, and it holds exhibits from that building. Wesley himself never preached at Brunswick, having died in 1791, thirty years before it opened, so treat any claim that he did with suspicion. Sources disagree wildly about when the Orphan House was demolished, with Methodist Heritage giving 1856 and Brunswick's own page giving 1957, so the guide leaves that open. Published opening hours conflict between three different sources; the church's own website is the one to trust before a visit.

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