Twenty three members managed to navigate their way to this isolated settlement above Nelson, a few choosing to drive through the two Catlow fords for a bit of extra adventure!

On arrival we were treated to hot drinks, crumpets and cakes by our kind hosts Gabrielle and Catherine.  This mother and daughter team continue to care for and maintain this special building as generations of their family have done before them.

After refreshments Catherine led us up the stone steps to the Methodist Chapel above. The chapel is housed in one of only two such structures in the country and now the only one which is still an active place of worship. So why is this amazing building here?  Catherine explained that in the mid 18th century John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, travelled and preached in this area.

The journals of John Wesley show that he preached several times at Southfield from the top of stone steps on the external wall of one of the houses (sadly the steps are no longer there). Here he “enjoyed the hospitality of his friend William Sagar”.  William Sagar promised Wesley a chapel on his land and when the barn was erected in 1797 he incorporated a chapel above.  Inside the chapel there are 8 rows of seats, each holding about 9 people, which slope upwards from the small choir stalls so that the congregation is looking down on the preacher.

After Catherine had very capably answered all our questions about the building and the history of Southfield we descended out of the chapel and barn with the intention of exploring the surrounding cottages.  However we were greeted with a heavy hail shower and quickly abandoned that idea! Several returned to the barn for another hot drink kindly provided by our hosts.