Dyke Chapel

Photographed in 1998

The present Baptist Chapel at Dyke was opened in 1879 with seating for 150 people and has since remained the largest place of non-conformist worship in the village. But for 70 years, the premises were also used as Dyke Primary School until closed by Kesteven County Council as part of their policy to phase out one-teacher village schools.

A Sunday School and services had been held in temporary premises for more than forty years but in 1878 it was felt that more ample accommodation should be provided and Mr Benoni Gilbert, a local farmer, bought the site and donated it to the community with promises of financial help from a number of friends. It was then agreed to erect a building with a twofold purpose of chapel and schoolroom. Work began in the autumn when memorial stones were laid at a special ceremony. The Grantham Journal reported on Saturday 19th October:

On the day appointed for the ceremony a goodly company assembled on the spot. Prayer was offered by Mr W R Wherry and a paper was read by the Rev W Orton giving a brief outline of the cause, after which two memorial stones were laid by Charles Roberts Esq., of Peterborough, and George Bettinson Esq., of Dyke, respectively. After the service, a large number partook of tea in a barn belonging to Mr Allen, kindly lent for the occasion, after which suitable addresses were delivered by various friends. The building is 34 ft. long by 20 ft. wide within, and has a classroom and out offices, and the estimated cost of the whole is about £370. Upwards of £50 was added to the building fund from the services of the day.

The chapel was completed the following year and officially opened on Wednesday 7th May 1879. The Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 23rd May:

A new chapel has been opened at Dyke in connection with the General Baptist chapel at Bourne. It is a neat and commodious building, is adapted to seat 150 persons, cost about £400 and is to be used for the twofold purpose of public worship and of Sunday School teaching. The opening services were conducted by the Rev S S Allsop, of March, and on Sunday the 11th by the Rev William Orton, the pastor of the church. On Monday last, a tea meeting was held specially in the interest of the Sunday School; Mr W R Wherry presided. A memorial bible with an appropriate inscription was presented to each of the scholars and addresses were delivered by the pastor and several of the teachers and friends. The proceeds of the opening services were £41 2s. 1d., the amount received at the laying of memorial stones was £46 1s. 6d. and the private subscriptions amounted to nearly £200.

A larger schoolroom was added to the building in 1896 and opened as Dyke Primary School. This provided education for hundreds of local children during the early years of the 20th century during which time excellent facilities were maintained with one large classroom and one smaller room, changing rooms with hot and cold running water, a canteen where the children are their lunches provided by the schools canteen service based in Bourne and as playground.

The school was staffed by a headmistress with two part-time assistants and a secretary. There were 38 children on the roll when it opened and the number fluctuated over the years but never exceeded 50. By 1969, there were 25 pupils on the roll but was earmarked for closure by Kesteven County Council as part of their policy to phase out all one-teacher schools in their area.

Photographed circa 1920 Photographed in 1999

 

Photo courtesy Robert Wilkinson

This colour photograph was taken by Mr Fred Wilkinson, who went to live at Bradford in Yorkshire, where he became an architect, and also taught at Bradford Technical College. His two eldest sons emigrated, one to Kenya and the other to Canada. He served in the army in Italy during the Great War of 1914-18 and in 1962, made a sentimental trip back to Dyke where he had enjoyed so many happy memories of his childhood and took this and other pictures. Fred died in 1975 at the age of 86.

REVISED FEBRUARY 2013

Return to Dyke village

Go to:     Main Index     Villages Index