No pews have been destroyed in the creation of a very smart, fit for the 21st century, Methodist chapel and schoolroom which is currently underway. While the wooden pitch pine pews may all have been removed this week, on schedule and as part of the redevelopment programme, their useful life is far from over. For our previous report on this work click.

The original pews, installed when the chapel was first built, were removed by members of Ripon Men's Shed on Monday as work on the Chapel itself began. They are now safely in the care of Senior Steward, Tim Abel. All the central pews have been “adopted”, secured by way of a donation to Chapel funds, and only about six side pews still remain, yet to find that loving new home. If you would be interested in rehoming one of these smaller pews, then please contact Tim. Tel: 01765 602605.

Looking ahead, it could well be that the Chapel's new porch could house a restored pew or they could possibly make a reappearance as seating in the proposed cafe area, should the layout and table arrangements prove appropriate.

It is interesting to look back at the early life of the the pews and BM Today is grateful to David Bray for supplying the snippets of history below.

David tells us that the pews were rented to family groups rather than a regular collection being taken and that there used to be a small brass frame, on a pew shelf close to the door, recording the name of the people who rented the pew. A book recording the payment of Pew Rents exists and is deposited in the County Records Office in Northallerton.

In these days of very strict health and safety regulations it is quite amazing to learn that, to reduce costs, there was no separate floor put down before the pews were installed, but that each pew had its own supporting wall of bricks underneath. The pews were stepped down to make it easier for worshippers to see the communion table.

The aisles were level throughout their length to within one inch (2.5cms) and were intended to be made of the same type of stone slabs as that used in the porch. Unfortunately, the stone ran out about halfway down the aisle as it approached the pulpit and the stone, from necessity, turned to wood.

The same pew type seating was also present at the front of the church, faced the congregation and was raised up about eighteen inches (45.5 cms) to form the choir stalls.

If anyone would like to let us know what their pew eventually becomes, we would be interested to hear. Let's keep their history alive.