A worshipping community was established in Upton Cheyney at the time of the Wesleyan Revivial which thrived in nearby Kingswood and Hanham in the later 1700's. Local folk gathered to study the Bible in a nearby cottage with regular visits from evangelical preachers such as John Cennick. The chapel was eventually built in 1834 as an Independent Chapel.
As part of its service to the community a village school was established in the chapel. The school mistress had accommodation above the school room in in the back of the chapel. The old school forms are still used. The school however has long since closed. The chapel served the local village and neighbouring Beech. With changing demographics, attendance at the chapel dwindled over the years.
In 2011 the church members had voted to close, but this brought a flurry of interest from the village and a desire to help the church and community to re-connect. The URC Synod agreed a reprieve to test the viability of this 'church and community' experiment and the church continues to become established.
For more information on the history of Upton Cheyney Chapel please go to our files page.