Manchester Street Hall (Boy’s Brigade Hall)
7 Manchester Street
The Hall was built as a Wesleyan Chapel in 1884, on the site of two earlier chapels.
The previous (original) chapel was one of 64 chapels founded in the mid-eighteenth century by the religious revivalist Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (1707 – 1791). Lady Huntingdon was a prominent follower of the teachings of John Wesley, espousing evangelical Christianity within the established Church of England.
Wesley himself first preached in Morpeth in the Market Square in 1748 and subsequently returned on at least 24 occasions. The impact of Wesleyan Methodism, particularly on the industrial working classes of the North East was profound. The early establishment of a Wesleyan chapel in Morpeth, the most northerly of Lady Huntingdon’s chapels, puts the town at the centre of the history of the non-conformist religious revival.
In 1809, the now independent Wesleyan Methodist Church bought the chapel rebuilding it in 1823.
The existing building was commissioned in 1883 from J Oswald and Son for £1,600. This third building on the site was designed to include space for a school and vestry on the lower level with the main preaching space in the upper hall. Joseph Oswald’s architectural practice is best remembered for the Central Arcade in Newcastle.
Capitals decorated with acanthus leaves survive in the old boiler room as a remnant of Lady Huntingdon’s original 18th century building.
In 1964, the Hall was bought for £4,400 by the current owner, the Parish of Morpeth. From the start it was intended as the Morpeth home of the Boys’ Brigade – from which the popular name “Boy’s Brigade Hall” derives.
The Boys’ Brigade, whose purpose was to develop the “virtues of Christian manliness” was the brainchild of Sir William Smith, a Glaswegian businessman. It was the first of several uniformed youth groups formed at the end of the19th century, pre-dating the Scout Movement by twenty-five years. The Morpeth Company, founded in 1894, was the first to be established in England. The Hall continues to act as headquarters for the Morpeth Company of the Boys Brigade, as well as hosting community events such as an annual Boys Brigade Bazaar and activities for the Morpeth Gathering, an annual celebration of Northumbrian folk music, dance and culture.
However, in recent years the deterioration of the fabric of the building, divisions of space, and access issues have made use of the building for these groups increasingly challenging. The Parish, along with partners, has therefore begun a major project to reinvigorate this building, The project’s vision is to conserve and adapt the building as a vibrant centre offering support and activities for local children and young people. Its aims are
to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment
to provide services that help children and young people to reach their full potential
to maintain and protect this central and important building, interpreting its history, its architecture and its significance to Morpeth
to support its future use by generating income through a blend of grant support, charitable donation and commercial lettings of building space, and
to work collaboratively with stakeholders within the community to ensure that the needs of the community and,in particular, the needs of children and young people, are met.
For more information see the Parish of Morpeth website