Until the growth of the town around an industrial harbour built in 1832 to export minerals – copper and then china clay, brought on the Cornwall Minerals Railway – Newquay was a small village. It was only after the opening of a passenger service in 1876 that the tourism industry began. After an unsuccessful attempt around 1802 to establish a Wesleyan Society meeting in a fisherman's cottage near where the harbour would later be built, William Bryant (later O'Bryan) established a Society in 1809. It was reluctantly accepted onto the Bodmin Plan. The first Wesleyan chapel of 1833 was lost to the Wesleyan Reformers soon after in 1849, and had to be replaced by a new one in 1852. This was in turn replaced in 1904 by a new Wesleyan chapel in East Street. This has a tower, but not the spire and belfry as originally intended. Among its stained glass windows is one in memory of Charles Garrett. It was sold in 2009 to the Newquay Christian Centre (Elim).

The UMFC in turn replaced the ex-Wesleyan chapel in 1895 by Claremont Chapel in Beachfield Avenue. This is now the home of Newquay Methodism.

Entry written by: CCS
Category: Place
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