John Wesley’s New Room Chapel

Tucked away in the heart of Broadmead, John Wesley’s Chapel is a cultural treasure; it’s the oldest Methodist chapel in the world, built in 1739. I think that most people may have glanced at this building when in Broadmead but never given much thought to what it is. Inside there is a small chapel; it’s a large pillared room with oak seating rows and interestingly sparse architecture — although it’s essentially quite bland, there’s something quite striking about the room. On the first floor there’s a small museum that tells the story of John Wesley and his work in Bristol — fairly interesting if it floats your boat, but slightly reminiscent of boring school trips. The chapel itself is well worth a visit though. I had the rare opportunity of climbing onto the roof of the building a couple of years ago when I was doing work experience at an architect’s firm — gave an excellent view of Broadmead!

this is a lovely and historical place to visit– browse their website
or take a look at the places of interest section on