Landmark Doncaster town centre church closes down after nearly 200 years

Priory Methodist Church, which has been a prominent feature of the town centre since the 1830s, has announced it will no longer be open for worship.

Built in 1832, the huge Grade II listed church has towered over Priory Place for decades and has also staged numerous concerts and other functions over the years as well as church services.

A brief notice on the church’s website reads: “Because of dwindling and aging numbers, the Priory congregation have decided to meet no longer for worship.”

During its heyday, the church could cater for more than 1,000 people at its services, with numerous gatherings each week.

The venue has also been used for a number of years for concerts by Doncaster Choral Society, which was formed in 1888.

The organisation has already found a new venue for its next performance, a telling of the Easter story in Bach’s St John’s Passion which will be held at Alder Grove Methodist Church, Balby on March 19 from 7.30pm.

It is the second landmark Doncaster town centre church to close in recent years.

The Hall Gate United Reformed Church closed its doors to its congregation in 2020 and was put up for sale at £425,000.

The church had seen continuous worship on the site since 1798.

In a brief statement, Hall Gate United Reformed Church secretary Val Morrison said: “The congregation at Hall Gate United Reformed Church has made the decision to cease worshipping at the building on Hall Gate.”