Historical Background
Shelley Methodist Chapel, which opened its doors for worship on Whit Sunday, 1785, is the oldest non-conformist church in Kirklees which is still in use.
When John Wesley visited the chapel he described its situation as “A lone place six or seven miles from Huddersfield”.
The chapel was in fact built a little out of what was then the village, and served a wide area, worshippers coming from most of the neighbouring villages.
Jeffrey’s map, dated 1772, a little before the chapel was built, shows Shelley as a small collection of houses along the top of the hill, from approximately the top of Far Bank to where Shelley Hall and Manor House Farm still stand.
There was also a cluster of buildings at Hill Top, but nothing except farm houses between them.
Shelley Methodist Church
Detail from Jeffrey's map
