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Headquarters
Our Headquarters is the Congregational Church
Hilton Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan. WN4 8PD
Where we meet on Monday evenings from 7-30pm
Visitors and prospective members welcome.
Please use this post code in your "Sat Nav" for our location
WN4 8PD
HILTON STREET is first on the right off Bolton Road travelling out of Ashton
Pass the Telephone exchange and YMCA on the left side of Hilton Street the church is next to the YMCA
There is a Car Park off Ladysmith Avenue and at the side of the church
Congregational Church History
Taken from the Ashton Website
Congregationalism in Ashton-in-Makerfield
abridged from "Ashton-in-Makerfield Congregational Church History 1824 - 1980" by JL Arrowsmith
The beginnings of Congregationalism in Ashton-in-Makerfield was due to a Reverend William Alexander who came by horse from Prescot in 1802 to conduct open-air meetings. Subsequently the minister frequently visited this 'immoral village', and in 1824 a church was formed in a barn near Captains Fields, off Bolton Road, by seven men: Henry Jenkin, Thomas Leather, William Lythgoe, Henry Holland, Thomas Sutton, Samuel Pierpoint and William Grundy.
The first chapel was built in Chapel Street and opened in 1829 with a membership of twenty-seven. This chapel was subsequently fitted out as a day school when the Gerard Street church was built and opened in l867. It had been the idea of Mr Richard Evans of Haydock, who was the local colliery owner, to build this new church and his wish was carried out after his death by his sons Josiah and Joseph, the foundation stone being laid in 1866 by their sister, Miss Ruth Evans.
In 1891 Miss Evans, now of Briars Hey, Rainhill, proposed to erect new day schools in the town, and in 1883 the Emmanuel British Schools were opened. (In addition to the schools in Ashton the Evans family built schools at Haydock, Prescot and Rhyl.)
By 1972 the church in Gerard Street presented structural problems and in 1973 the church premises were sold and vacated, services and other meetings being held in various buildings in the locality.
On March 19th 1976 the stone-laying ceremony for the new Hilton Street church took place and was performed by the Northern Area Chairman, Dr W Ashley Smith, the National President. Dr Clifford Hill gave the address. On December 3rd 1977 the church was officially opened.