Clockwise from top left: Ibstock’s Baptist, former Primitive Methodist, Methodist and Wesleyan Reform churches
This walk has been designed by Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust. It is based on a guided walk we intended to offer in July 2020 as part of the annual Festival of Archaeology. COVID-19 and social distancing requirements caused those plans to be cancelled. Instead, we bring a shortened version of the walk to you in a form that you can follow from the comfort of your home on a PC, wherever you are in the world. Alternatively, if you can get to Ibstock, you may wish to guide yourself around, by following this tour on a smartphone. We have also created an interactive map, which will open in a separate tab, should you wish to view the route.
We have chosen the theme for this tour because it is unusual for a village to have so many different Christian places of worship. This ‘virtual tour’ will lead you round these buildings and tell you something about their history.
Our walk begins outside Ibstock Baptist Church, in Chapel Street. If you want to follow the tour ‘in real life’, there is a free car park in High Street, opposite the Palace (former cinema), 250 yd from the Baptist church.
Click on the link below when you are ready to start. At the end of each page you can move on to the next church, or use the menu below to curate your own tour. As in a ‘real’ walk, we will point out a few interesting features as we move from one church to the next. After the Baptist Church, the walk will visit the Primitive Methodist Church (now closed), the former and the present Wesleyan Reform Church, and finally Ibstock Methodist Church (originally Wesleyan Methodist Church), where this curated tour ends.
We hope you find the tour interesting. You will be able to find out more about all aspects of Ibstock’s history in our new book, due to be published towards the end of 2020. We are very grateful to local volunteers, Ibstock Historical Society and members of the various churches who have helped with this research.
Use these links if you wish to curate your own tour:
Former Primitive Methodist Church