Churches of the British Isles

Mevagissey Bible Christian Chapel (Second Site) is at the north-east corner of Valley Road and Chapel Square, opposite the previous site (above). This chapel was built in 1896 in the Gothic style by Squire Tremayne of Heligan. It later became River Street Methodist Church - its BCC congregation likely joined the Congregationalists further down Chapel Square (below). The Methodists also left by 1994. The building was on the market in 2015 and is now private apartments.

St Andrew's United Church is on the south-east side of Chapel Square, about twenty metres from both Bible Christian Chapel sites (above). As can be seen, it is attached to another chapel (to its left - the Congregational chapel - below). This building of 1873 was erected as a school. At some point - perhaps about 1994 - the town's Methodists, Bible Christians, and United Reformists amalgamated to form this church which was expanded into the earlier chapel.

Mevagissey Congregational Chapel is at the farther end of Chapel Square, on the corner of Chapel Street and with St Andrew's behind it (to the right here - see above). The first building on this site was erected in 1776 as Mevagissey Independent Church. It could seat 450 and the work was handled by architect Silvanus Trevail. The present building replaced the first in 1882. When St Andrew's United Church was formed, this building was converted to be part of it.

Mevagissey Primitive Methodist Chapel stood on Bank Terrace, to the north of the harbour. The early Primitive Methodist society had no chapel buildings here. However, by 1870-72 this had changed. John Wesley was a friend of Samuel Dunn and probably also stayed at his house, now the Haven Restaurant on Fore Street. A Primitive minister and later leader of the Methodist Reformers in the 1850s, Dunn may have provided his house as this first Primitive meeting house.

Mevagissey Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (First Site), nicknamed Net Loft Chapel, stands at the north end of West Wharf. Wesley visited the town in 1753, preaching 1.5km out of town, probably at Trewinney Farmhouse (see links). When still a net loft, John Wesley reportedly gave his first Mevagissey sermon here. Then it became the town's first Wesleyan chapel (1757). It is now the Wheel House Restaurant, sans top floor but with pews from Fore Street Chapel.

All photos on this page by Jo Lewis.