Temple Methodist Church

On his way to Cornwall, John Wesley preached in Taunton in August 1743 and made a further 22 visits to the town. The number of Methodists in the town grew quickly and in 1775 Wesley gave permission for them to build a preaching house: the Octagon Chapel, was erected in Middle Street and was opened by Wesley on 6th March 1776.

By the turn of the century, the need for a larger chapel coincided with the return of James Lackington to the town. He was born in nearby Wellington and, as a boy, he heard a sermon by a Wesleyan preacher and was converted to Methodism. With a loan of £5 (from a fund set up by John Wesley) he starting selling secondhand books in a small shop in Finsbury, meeting an increasing demand for affordable literature.

Eventually this developed into a huge bookshop called 'Temple of the Muses' and Lackington became very wealthy. He retired to Taunton in 1808 and, at his own expense, built a much larger place of worship which he named ‘The Temple’. In 1812 the Methodists from the Octagon moved to the ‘The Temple’.

Throughout the 19th century the congregation and its needs grew. In 1846 the façade was extended by 12ft towards the road, and the first schoolroom was built. Later, in 1866, the chapel was rebuilt along an east-west axis and the existing schoolroom was enlarged.

The Temple Chapel had always maintained large Sunday Schools where children were able to acquire a little reading and Biblical learning: the Wesleyan School was opened in the Temple schoolroom in 1874 with 54 scholars.

The current organ was installed in 1879 at a cost of £1000. It is still regularly played and is considered a fine instrument.
In 1898 General William Booth preached in the Temple. Best known as the founder of the Salvation Army, he later became a Methodist minister.

In the 2000s, various redevelopment schemes have taken place and these have helped create the attractive and flexible accommodation which we have today, fully used and appreciated by the church and the wider community.