Overview of Post 1932 Methodism in Luton
The Wesleyan, Primitive and United Methodists came together in 1932 to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain. The following year all the Wesleyan and Primitive Luton Circuits were combined into one Luton Circuit, with the exception of the five chapels in Luton I Primitive Circuit which became a separate circuit under the name of High Town. The two circuits comprised as follows:
High Town Circuit:
- Barton-le-Clay former Primitive chapel;
- Leagrave, Marsh Road;
- Luton, Cardigan Street;
- Luton, High Town;
- Sharpenhoe.
Luton Circuit:
- Aley Green;
- Barton-le-Clay former Wesleyan chapel;
- Batford [Hertfordshire];
- Bendish [Hertfordshire];
- Chaul End;
- Cockernhoe [Hertfordshire];
- Darley Hall, Kings Walden [Hertfordshire];
- Flamstead [Hertfordshire];
- Gaddesden Row [Hertfordshire];
- Gravenhurst;
- Harpenden, High Street [Hertfordshire];
- Harpenden, Southdown Road [Hertfordshire];
- Hexton [Hertfordshire];
- Kimpton [Hertfordshire]
- Kinsbourne Green;
- Lilley [Hertfordshire];
- Luton, Bailey Hill;
- Luton Central Mission;
- Luton, Chapel Street;
- Luton, Church Street (former Primitive chapel);
- Luton, Dallow Road;
- Luton, Dunstable Road former Primitive chapel;
- Luton, Dunstable Road former Wesleyan chapel;
- Luton, Mount Tabor;
- Luton, North Street;
- Luton, Park Town;
- Luton, Round Green;
- Luton, Waller Street;
- Markyate [Hertfordshire], former Wesleyan chapel;
- Redbourn [Hertfordshire];
- Saint Albans, Boundary Road [Hertfordshire];
- Shillington, Bury End;
- Shillington, High Road;
- Slip End;
- Stopsley;
- Studham;
- Trowley Bottom, Flamstead [Hertfordshire].
Between 1933 and 1965 the following chapels opened, all in Luton Circuit:
- Luton, Beech Hill in 1934;
- Luton, Montrose Avenue (later renamed Saint Margaret's) in 1937;
- Luton, Farley Hill in 1956;
- Luton, Lewsey Friendship House and Luton, Saint John's in 1962.
In 1942 Harpenden Circuit was formed taking with it the following chapels: Batford; Flamstead; Gaddesden Row; Harpenden, High Street; Harpenden, Southdown Road; Kimpton; Kinsbourne Green, Markyate, Studham and Trowley Bottom.
In 1944 the High Town Circuit was merged into the Luton Circuit.
The Luton circuits were reorganised in 1965 to form an Industrial Mission and two new circuits Luton North Circuit and Luton South Circuit. Luton North comprised the following:
- Barton-le-Clay former Wesleyan chapel;
- Bendish;
- Cockernhoe;
- Gravenhurst;
- Leagrave, Marsh Road;
- Luton Central Mission;
- Luton, High Town;
- Luton, Montrose Avenue;
- Luton, Round Green;
- Shillington, Bury End;
- Shillington, High Road;
- Stopsley.
Luton South comprised the following chapels:
- Aley Green;
- Leagrave High Street (transferred from Dunstable Circuit);
- Luton, Beech Hill;
- Luton, Farley Hill;
- Luton, Lewsey Friendship House;
- Luton, Mount Tabor;
- Luton, Oakdale (amalgamation of Dallow Road and Dunstable Road in 1964);
- Luton, Park Town;
- Luton, Strathmore Avenue;
- Slip End.
In 1987 a new Luton Circuit was formed comprising the following surviving and new chapels:
- Aley Green;
- Barton-le-Clay;
- Gravenhurst;
- Leagrave, High Street;
- Leagrave, Marsh Road;
- Luton, Beech Hill;
- Luton, Farley Hill;
- Luton, High Town;
- Luton, Mount Pleasant;
- Luton, Oakdale;
- Luton, Round Green;
- Luton, Saint John's;
- Luton, Saint Margaret's;
- Luton, Strathmore Avenue;
- Luton, Wesley;
- Shillington, Bury Road;
- Shillington, High Road.
In the latter half of the 20th century the following chapels were created: Luton, Strathmore Avenue (replacing Park Town) in 1972; Luton, Wesley in 1975 (replacing Chapel Street); Luton, Mount Pleasant in 1989 (replacing Leagrave, Marsh Road) and Luton, Wigmore in 1991 - a combined Methodist and United Reformed Church meeting.
Circuit Archivist Irwin Rumbles has traced the closeures of chapels between 1933 and 2000 in his pamphlet Luton Methodism in the 20th Century:
- Barton-le-Clay, former Primitive Chapel in 1944;
- Luton, Church Street in 1946;
- Luton, Waller Street in 1953;
- Chaul End in 1955;
- Luton, Bailey Hill in 1959;
- Luton, Warden Hill in 1962;
- Luton Central Mission in 1966;
- Luton, Park Town in 1971;
- Stopsley in 1974;
- Luton, Chapel Street in 1976;
- Luton, Marsh Road in 1988;
- Luton, Round Green in 1997;
- Luton, Wesley in 1997.
In 2010 the Luton Circuit amalgamated with the Chiltern Downs Circuit to form the South Bedfordshire Circuit.