Museum of Methodism

Step back into Eighteenth Century London with a visit to one of London’s finest surviving examples of a small Georgian house.

'Perfectly neat but not fine' was how John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, described the chapel he built in 1778, now known rather more grandly as the 'Cathedral of World Methodism' and still a thriving place of worship. He lived here the last twelve winters of his life, in the summer months he would visit and preach to his Methodist societies round the country.

Exhibits include old maps, original letters by John Wesley, his death mask and wooden pulpit, as well as Methodist paintings and commemorative pottery. Tablet computers provide interactive access to Wesley's original sermons and younger brother Charles's hymns.

The museum in the chapel's crypt tells the story of the Methodist Movement, with permanent displays telling the story of Wesley's conversion, the history of the chapel and the organisation of Methodist societies worldwide.

Across the courtyard from the chapel lies John Wesley's House, where he lived for the last 11 years of his life.

Relics of the great man on display here include an early electric shock machine, used by Wesley to treat cases of depression —including his own. A 'chamber horse' and 'straddle chair' are among the more unusual pieces of furniture in the house, while Wesley's bedroom features its own en-suite prayer room.

The John Wesley's House also provided a home for the preachers of the Chapel, their families and servants. Discover the day to day running of a small Georgian town house. The house contains many of John Wesley's belongings and furniture, including his electrical machine and his study chair. His small Prayer Room is considered by Methodists all over the world to be the Power House of Methodism.