Ashford Common Methodist Church

Our Church

The first recorded service of Ashford Common Methodist Church was on the 9 April 1888 in a rented cottage in Napier Road on the initiative of 2 brothers, Walter and Jacob Lock. The rental was 14 shillings (70 p) a month. It was nearly 6 years later that they moved to the "tin hut" in Alexandra Road. The road was unmade with no pavements or mains services (water, gas, electricity or drainage) so lighting and heating were provided by oil lamps. Gas would not be laid on until 1923, water in 1928 and electricity in 1930.

The first mention of building a purpose built brick church was in the church minutes of January 1929, and a building fund was started a year later. Meantime, in 1933, the building was extended by adding a schoolroom, kitchen, lobby, toilet and shed at the rear. The land for this had been obtained some years earlier from the owner of 2 neighbouring houses selling part of the back gardens.

It was 1955 before any firm plans were made for building a new church, though the building fund was still in existence and being added to. After a number of difficulties, building work began in March 1959, with the stone laying ceremony taking place on 30 April 1960. The church was opened on 1 October 1960, 30 years after the new building fund had started. Many new homes, roads, and estates had been built by this time. The schools were crowded and there were now over 200 children and young people connected with the church in the Sunday school, girls brigade, boys brigade, and the youth club. There was a young wives group, women’s meeting, church fellowship and prayer meeting.

In 1988, Ashford Common Methodist Church celebrated its' centenary with many former ministers returning to take services. A circular window was put in the apex at the back of the church to mark this milestone and the work continues.