John Wesley founded a chapel and built a house in the late 1700s, and this became the birthplace of Methodism religion. The museum and chapel are free to enter, and there is a small cost for a guided tour of the Wesley home. The new chapel was built in Wesley's time and it replaced a smaller one at the same location. Across the street is Bunhill Fields cemetery, which I wrote about here, and you can also see more photographs of Wesley's Chapel.
Wesley's Chapel Interior
John Wesley built the house in 1779, and it is an example of a London Georgian house. The house is opposite the chapel, and across the road is Bunhill Fields. (Bunhill Fields was the resting place of many non-Church of England people.)
I took a guided tour of the house. Wesley lived here for the last decade of his life. Normally, he would travel the land to preach his religion to others, but he returned here in the winter months. His staff and other preachers stayed here as well, and I believe that there were six or seven who stayed here. The house contains many items from Wesley's time and other items that he owned. The upper floors have rooms that look over Bunhill Fields.
Some of the furniture included an early exercise machine that Wesley could use when he was not traveling around on horse-back to keep in shape, and a chair that you could sit in backwards that had a desk attached to it.
The Museum of Methodist is located in the chapel's crypt, and it contains several items that belonged to Wesley. The family bible, pictured above, is particularly worn from use and survived a house fire. There's also the last pen Wesley used and stumps of large trees that he preached under around the country.
Out the back of the chapel is where Wesley is buried, along with some of the other preachers. This area is inside a small courtyard with modern offices surrounding it.
It's amazing that the beginnings of this major Christain religion started in this small area of London many years ago, and the history is still there.
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