Methodism in Poppleton

On 13th July 1757 John Wesley preached to a crowd of villagers on the village green at Upper Poppleton. They flocked to hear him that evening and although, as he said, it was "violently hot", they listened eagerly.

That night he wrote in his diary: "Preached at Poppleton where the poor gladly received the Gospel. The rich heard it and even seemed to approve. God give them to understand and practice it".

His prayers were answered when two farmers became trustees of a new chapel in York and a Methodist group was formed in Poppleton. Initially meeting for services in a barn eventually, in 1817, they built a house that looked a bit like a doll's house with a front door between two windows.

In 1889 a bigger chapel was built beside it and in the early 20th century the original chapel was demolished to make room for a Sunday school; this is now used for meetings. Further expansions of the buildings were introduced in the 1970's and 1980's.