Farley Hill Methodist Church Luton

The temporary church at Farley Hill - from Impact!

In 1962 a booklet called Impact! was published [MB1694]. It was an outline history of Methodism in Luton from 1750 and included five pages on the new church at Farley Hill. Farley Hill began to be developed after World War Two and in 1946 the Luton Methodist Circuit agreed that a church should be built there.

In 1953 plans were drawn up for a church, hall and youth club, including a two storey block on Bolingbroke Road – a £50,000 undertaking. This cost led to the project being broken up into three phases. Phase One was to be the dual-purpose church hall; Phase Two was to be the church itself and Phase Three the youth premises. The architect was M. MacFarlane Widdup and the builders were Luton firm Richardson and Bottoms Limited.

Construction of the hall began in 1954 with a temporary cross on the roof to signify that it was serving as a church. The first service was not held in the building until 19th March 1955.

In 1960 planning work began on the church. More money was made available than had been expected allowing the architect of the hall to design a proper church rather than making do with a standard design. The church was built at the same time as two other Methodist churches in Luton – at Lewsey and at Warden Hill (Saint John’s). The church, in Northdrift Way, was completed in 1962.

In 1965 the Luton Circuit was split into two – north and south. Farley Hill became part of Luton South Circuit. The two circuits were reconstituted into a Luton Circuit in 1987 and in 2010 Luton Circuit joined Chiltern Downs Circuit to form South Bedfordshire Circuit.

Farley Hill Methodist church in 1962 - from Impact!

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has the following information on Farley Hill Methodist church:

• MB2357: Trustees’ minute book: 1946-1976;
• MB458: Church Trust accounts: 1952-1956;
• MB459: final accounts for building the hall: 1955;
• MB2358: Leaders’ and Society minute book: 1955-1974;
• MB2362: collection journal: 1955-1978;
• MB2363: pulpit notice book: 1955-1959;
• MB2360: Trust Treasurer’s account book: 1958-1973;
• MB2364: pulpit notice book: 1959-1963;
• MB562: Luton Three New Churches Fund folder: 1960-1965;
• MB2359: Trust account book: 1961-1973;
• MB1694: Impact! 1962;
• MB2365: pulpit notice book: 1964-1968;
• MB2858: Methodist Trust schedules: 1966-1979;
• MB2859: enquiries to be made annually at the Trustees’ meeting following audit: 1966-1979;
• MB2366: pulpit notice book: 1968-1969;
• MB2367: pulpit notice book: 1969-1970;
• MB1857: quinquennial inspection report: 1970;
• MB2368: pulpit notice book: 1970-1971;
• MB2369: pulpit notice book: 1971-1972;
• MB2370: pulpit notice book: 1973-1974;
• MB2361: Trust Treasurer’s account book: 1973-1974;
• MB2358: Church Council minute book: 1974-1979;
• MB2371: pulpit notice book: 1974-1975;
• MB2372: pulpit notice book: 1975-1976;
• MB2373: pulpit notice book: 1976-1979;
• MB3134: Church Council minutes and correspondence: 1978-2000;
• MB2374: pulpit notice book: 1980-1984;
• MB2375: pulpit notice book: 1984-1987