John Wesley's New Room

John Wesley's New Room

John Wesley's New Room
4.5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric SitesArchitectural BuildingsReligious Sites
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
The New Room in Bristol is the oldest Methodist Chapel in the world (originally built in 1739 and extended in 1748) and the cradle of the early Methodist movement. It was built and used by John and Charles Wesley and the early Methodists as a meeting and preaching place and the centre for helping and educating the needy members of the community. The chapel itself is on the ground floor (where there is also a shop) and is accessible from either the Broadmead or Horsefair courtyards. Upstairs, there is an admission charge Arts Council accredited museum which tells the story of John and Charles Wesley and their life and work in Bristol.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles336 reviews
Excellent
221
Very good
97
Average
16
Poor
1
Terrible
1

lover of food
67 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
This really is a little hidden gem. Lovely cafe good food, served quickly., Very interesting little church too. It is an interesting museum upstairs. The problem was that when I visited the museum a lot of the exhibits were not lit up or the light so dimmed it was impossible to read or see the items. They recommend 1-2 hours there, I stayed no more than 15 minutes as lighting was not good. It is £6 concession entry fee but that ticket lasts for
a year. I recommend a conducted tour it would make it more interesting.
Written 18 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colhunt
Cramlington, UK166 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
A hidden beauty in the middle of the city centre. We initially went in for a light lunch at the lovely cafe but paid to see the upper rooms that explain all about the Wesley brothers and the beginning of Methodism. The downstairs chapel is free to visit but the upper rooms are well worth the entry fee. It took about an hour to go around and we even managed to put the jigsaw together, but it was very informative and we learned a lot
Written 15 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

therichastill
Stevenage, UK3,515 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Solo
Tucked away in Bristol City Centre is John Wesley's New Room. Having done a google search beforehand and looking at maps in the city centre I was able to find this place quite easily.

It is really close to the big Primark store.

There is a cafe and a gift shop at the entrance to the building and you can pay to have a look around the exhibits. You can also visit the chapel which is quite an amazing and you can imagine many of the Wesley hymns being sung here with gusto.

I was very interested in seeing the rooms above the chapel. There is alot of history of the Wesley family and the good works they did and other people they were involved with.

Well worth checking out if you are a fan of Christian music and want to know more about history of the early church in the city.
Written 10 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew K
Cardiff, UK379 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Although we are not Methodists, this glimpse into Wesley and the history of Methodism was absolutely fascinating. The museum is beautifully laid out and very informative, setting Methodism within its time. Although possibly a bit hagiographical, Wesley achievements in such areas as education, practical medicine and human rights are well portrayed, along with "pen portraits" of his friends and colleagues and plenty of historical artefacts. The chapel too is well worth a visit as early Nonconformist buildings are rare. The volunteers who staff the New Room are all welcoming, helpful and charming, a credit to their denomination. The coffee wasn't bad, either: a nice place for a light lunch in the city centre. Well done!
Written 25 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Curator_on_the_go
Bristol, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
I booked this visit and (excellent docent/volunteer-led) tour for my visiting theologian father, but also enjoyed the broader story and relevance of the Wesley brothers (and their work/beliefs/advocacy in relation to education, abolition, inequality etc) to the social history of the region and England more broadly. The chapel is an architectural gem, and the New Room museum spaces are well-designed and packed with well-presented information on a range of themes, explored through original artefacts, recreated rooms, replicas, and interactives. The courtyard and cafe also provide additional spaces for reflection, gathering, and community in the midst of the city's busy shopping quarter.
Written 28 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KYJ
Singapore, Singapore10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
This is a compact but highly informative museum about John and Charles Wesley and the history of the Methodist movement. The museum has just a few rooms but has many interesting info boards and historical artefacts on display and will take more than an hour to go through. The chapel downstairs is also worth a visit to see the fairly unique layout with an upper pulpit overlooking the congregation (from where sermons were preached) and a lower pulpit for scripture readings. A short worship service is held on Fridays at lunchtime and there are also frequent music recitals. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. The bookstore is well stocked and also has a range of interesting old second hand books and maps for sale. The cafe is probably the best one in the vicinity.
Written 16 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Deirdre Tampa
903 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
The cafe was a delicious breakfast! We enjoyed food before heading into museum. We really enjoyed going through the well done exhibits, suitable for all ages. We learned so much about Methodism. This is worth your time. The volunteers are so knowledgeable, engage them!
Written 2 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cltc43
Bristol, UK939 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Historic chapel, beautifully preserved. The oldest Methodist chapel in the world - not a bad reason for visiting this church which is hidden away in the midst of Bristol's soulless shopping centre. Fans of Poldark will recognise it as the setting for the serial's courtroom scenes.

The only slightly disconcerting part of our visit was when someone started very loudly giving a group of people breathing exercises in readiness for what was presumably to be community choir singing. It seemed rather inappropriate and jarring.

There is a large and airy cafe at one side of the building.
Written 7 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emma
Bristol, UK266 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Solo
I visited the museum on one of the guided tours and really enjoyed it. Our guide was really knowledgeable and the tour itself was really interesting and informative. We went into the chapel and the rooms above and learnt a lot about Methodism - would really recommend!
Written 23 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sam
76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
This is a fantastic place. A lovely museum and a great music venue. I played there with the band I play with and we were made very welcome.
Also the chapel is a wonderful music and performance space.
The staff are also really nice, friendly and helpful along with a great team of volunteers that help the musical evenings run like clock work.
The venue felt very covid safe, with a one way system in place and hand gel everywhere.
A fantastic place, well worth a visit!!
Written 23 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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