Built in 1867, the smallest chapel in England with a three-sided balcony. THIS CHAPEL IS NOW UNDER PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, NO SERVICES OR PUBLIC ACCESS ALLOWED ANY LONGER.
The Baptist Chapel
Chapel Street
Hacconby, Lincolnshire
When Hacconby Chapel was erected in 1867, it was intended that the building should hold a congregation of 100 people, however the builder mistook his instructions and the chapel was too small!
The question now was what could be done to rectify this rather large mistake? There appeared to be only one solution and that was to add a three-sided balcony. It was this solution which has made this building rather unique and it is now believed to be the smallest chapel in England to have this kind of balcony and the two sides are so close that it is possible for two people to shake hands across the gap from one side to the other.
Mr. W. Brown had this small chapel built on his own land for the ‘dissenters’, the name given to those who refused to worship in the established church of England who were meeting at that time on the village green with no building. It was originally shared between the Baptists and the Primitive Methodists for 30 years before becoming a Baptist chapel in 1899.
Unsettling times
In 1932 the Brown estate was put up for sale and although the chapel had been intended as a gift to the people of Hacconby, there was a real risk that it would have to be closed. The minister at that time was the Rev. Letts who was able to negotiate for the chapel to be withdrawn from the sale on condition that £50 was raised within two years to buy the property. Although the purchase price seems extremely small to us in these days, it was a substantial sum of money for a small village at that time but thanks to peoples generosity the money was raised, the Chapel was safe and placed under the care of the deacons, members and trustees of Morton Baptist Church to ensure that it would remain as a place of worship in Hacconby.
On the telly!
In 1967 the chapel celebrated its centenary and Anglia Television filmed the story of the chapel, with people taking the part of Mr. Brown riding past the green on horseback with a crowd playing ‘the dissenters’ holding their open air service. Again in 2005, Central Television included the chapel in their programme ‘heart of the country’ with Tony Francis which included a look at the chapel, especially the balconies where Tony Francis was seen shaking hands across the gap between, an impromptu ‘service’ with a congregation made up of a few unsuspecting neighbours and an interview with the minister on the village green.
The future?
Many village churches have found the last number of years very difficult and Hacconby chapel is no exception and by the start of the new millennium the chapel was closed for services, however these were started again on a monthly basis in 2004 and continue with a small congregation on the 2nd Sunday at 3pm (6.30pm during July, August and September) with the services lasting 45 minutes. Regular weekly services are held at New Day Baptist church in High Street, Morton (opposite the post office) and for details of service times etc please use the telephone number below.
The chapel is now grade two listed and as with any old building, there is much to be done to keep on top of maintenance issues including woodworm, damp and cracking and we can only wait to see what the future holds.
We are grateful to God for his provision throughout the chapel’s history and now as always our aim is to declare his love and desire that all would come to him and know Jesus and their personal Lord and saviour.
The chapel is part of a group of 3 chapels, the other two being at Morton and Dyke and these hold regular weekly services, coffee mornings and Bible Studies.
The Chapel is now under private ownership and no services will be held in the chapel again.