Keld Church Information.
Keld Chapel is small but beautiful as can be said of the population it serves.
Visitors are always welcome to come into the chapel to pray, meditate or simply to rest weary feet in a sheltered and peaceful atmosphere after a hike across the fells. Christian literature is available to read. Many come through its door as evidenced by the numerous and appreciative comments written in the visitors’ book. The design and furnishings are typical of Nonconformist chapels of the area. Singing is accompanied by an American Parlour Harmonium built in the early 20th century.
Integral with the chapel is what used to be the manse which is now a holiday let and also used by Ministers in Residence.
On the 6th of June 1561 Ralph Alderson left in his will twelve pence for the priest at Keld to pray for his soul. The Reformation was in full swing, Mary Queen of Scots was denied entry to England and the first Calvinists sought refuge in this country. Before that we do not know how long there had been a church building or priest at Keld. “Keld Chap” features in a map of Yorkshire by Christopher Saxton in 1577 and again in map drawn by John Speede in 1610. A map of 1646 show “Keld Chu” and “Birkdale Chap” further up the dale. In 1696 there is an invoice for 5 shillings and ten pence for walling up the chapel door. By 1722 “Keld Chapelle” had no roof and slate and timber had been stolen.
There is an account that at some unknown date a riot within the chapel raged with such severity that the chapel was ruined. The story goes that during a service a stranger came in and shouted out loud that he would give anyone tuppence to help him buy a calf. He could not be persuaded to keep quiet and a fight broke out. Others from outside came and joined in and the stranger took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed and was never seen again.
What has no whiff of legend about it is that in 1789 a Mr Edward Stillman, an itinerant preacher, visited Muker and Keld. He stood in the centre of the ruined chapel that was overrun with weeds, planted his stick in the ground and declared ‘Here will I have my Chapel and here will I preach the Gospel.’ He built a modest chapel with two adjoining rooms, one was a school where his wife was the teacher and the other his home. In 1818 he rebuilt the chapel and manse and purchased adjoining land for a burial ground. He soldiered on with failing health after the death of his wife in 1830 and he died on 22nd of March 1837, 48 years after vowing to build a chapel and preach the Gospel in Keld.
Since the time of Edward Stillman the chapel has been in constant use as a place of Christian worship
Our minister, Revd Julie Martin retired at Easter 2013. We are very grateful to her for her faithful ministry at Barnard Castle, Low Row and Keld. We wish her and her husband Peter a long and happy retirement.
We have been very fortunate in the newly formed Tees/Swale Pastorate to welcome as our new pastors for the five churches of the pastorate Revd Hilary Collinson and her husband Revd Stephen Collinson who take up their duties at the beginning of August 2013.
Keld Chapel Roll of Ministers
1789 – 1837 Edward Stillman
1837 – 1838 William Sedgwick
1838 – 1866 James Wilkinson
1866 – 1867 George Waddington
1867 – 1871 Joseph Woollard
1871 – 1874 Thomas Slevan
1875 – 1879 William Woodburn
1879 – 1884 Jonathan Balme
1884 – 1887 William Henry Wilcock
1887 – 1899 William Crombie
1899 – 1903 Henry Vasey
1904 – 1905 Thomas Baron
1906 – 1908 Thomas N Oliphant
1908 – 1911 William Prothero
1912 – 1915 Joseph Atkinson
1916 – 1917 Arthur L Critchard
1917 – 1926 Henry Vasey (second term)
1926 – 1927 J W Roberts
1927 – 1931 George MacDonald
1931 – 1933 Walter Gunton
1935 – 1942 Arnold Francis Mee
1943 – 1946 Fred Whitlock
1947 – 1951 Norman K Soar
1951 – 1957 C Sinclair
1957 – 1959 John T Lyman
1960 – 1965 John D Legg
1967 – 1981 Kenneth W Wadsworth
1981 – 1986 Stanley Wilton
1986 – 1995 Peter I Poulter
1996 – 2004 Gillian M Bobbett
2005 – 2013 Julie S Martin
2013 – Stephen and Hilary Collinson