Former Methodist Chapel on the left

In a tract written in the 1850s, the irreligious nature of the inhabitants of Bucks Mills was lamented. The evangelising efforts of the Wesleyan Methodists and the Bible Christians bore fruit and the characters in Barefoot on the Cobbles attend the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in the first chapter. The original, tin roofed, chapel was probably constructed in the 1860s. It was Captain Joe, Albert’s uncle, who is said to have donated the land on which the chapel was built. He also promised that his subscription to the chapel would increase by £2 each year. He lived to be 87, so this may have been rash. In 1907, the chapel was closed and a new chapel was built on the opposite side of the road. Leet Cottage now stands on the site of the old chapel.

‘Kneeling on a coarse hassock between Mary and Albert, Eadie’s mind wandered as the words of the prayers washed over her. The walls of the chapel echoed back the phrases with an eerie resonance. For Eadie, the sermon was the hardest part. The dust motes swam in the sinking sunlight and she struggled to stay awake as the preacher spoke of sin and salvation.’

Barefoot on the Cobbles will be published on 17 November 2018. More information about the novel can be found here. Copies will be available at various events in the weeks following the launch or can be pre-ordered from Blue Poppy Publishing or the author.