Whitfield Tabernacle: 1930s time capsule discovered during restoration

The time capsule was found in the walls of the 18th Century building

A time capsule from the 1930s has been discovered in the walls of an 18th Century chapel.

The container, holding an old order of service and a 1913 article from the Western Daily Press, was found at the Whitfield Tabernacle, in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire.

It was placed in the wall around 90 years ago by the building's caretaker.

The Whitfield Tabernacle was an important venue for the early Methodist church and is currently being restored.

Whitfield Tabernacle Trust Secretary, Kim Scudamore, with items found in the time capsule

South Gloucestershire Council is working closely with the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust and Ferguson Mann Architects to fully restore the building, with the first phase of work complete.

The renovation of the Grade I listed building is expected to be finished by the end of 2023, when it will open as a community arts space.

Stabilising the neglected building has cost £820,000 and the total cost is expected to reach £2.8m.

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, Toby Savage said it was an exciting project.

"It is fantastic to see how work to restore the Tabernacle is beginning to take shape and it is immensely satisfying after the years of hard work it has taken to get to this stage," he said.

"The building has international significance in terms of its associated history with the non-conformist movement, so it is important we restore and protect it for the benefit of the local community, and for future generations," added Mr Savage.

Mr Savage said it was "fantastic" to see the restoration work taking place

Kim Scudamore, secretary of the Whitfield Tabernacle Trust, which bought the chapel in 2019, said good progress was being made.

"The last time some of our Trustees had been inside the building there was no roof," he said.

"We had to carefully pick our way over rotten floorboards and try to avoid the trees and vegetation that had taken over the space in the years that the building lay abandoned.

"To see the restored pillars, new roof, windows, and security doors gave us a glimpse of what the restored space will look like when the full development is achieved next year," added Mr Scudamore.