Cavendish Road Congregational Church, Bispham in the County of -- Lancashire --

Cavendish Road Congregational Church
Now Bispham United Reformed Church

	Bispham United Reformed Church Board Photograph supplied by and © of Brian Young

The nonconformist tradition in Bispham appears to go back to the 17th century . Minutes of a meeting from 1699 talk of the “choice of a minister to serve Bispham in the room of Mr Dickenson for the present”. Mr Dickenson was apparently a cobbler.

By 1819 Congregationalists had established a presence in the village and were meeting in a barn. “This barn, which was opened in the latter end of May, continues to be well attended” reports a meeting held in Preston in 1819.

By 1834 the congregation was big enough to build a church and the Bethel Chapel was opened in Bispham. This seems to have had a troubled history and was closed for some 8 to 10 years around 1850. At the time the chapel was described as “dirty and uncomfortable”.

However the church overcame these problems and by the end of the century was a thriving community. By the 1910's the congregation had outgrown the Bethel Chapel and a new church was opened in 1912 which is still in use today.

The church buildings were enlarged in 1936 with the opening of the Sunday School hall and the church itself was extended in 1954 to cater for the increased size of the congregation.

Extract from church website

	Bispham United Reformed Church Photograph supplied by and © of Brian Young