Central Methodist Mission, Swan Bank (Burslem)

The Church fronts onto Swan Square and is bounded on the sides by Moorland Road (which leads to Smallthorne) and on the other side by Chapel Lane. The photograph below looks towards Chapel Lane and the building on the extreme right is the George Hotel.

This modern church of concrete and brick was designed by Hulme, Upright and Partners and completed in 1971.
Burslem's old Central Methodist Church, a massive edifice of 1801, was demolished in the 1960's.

This modern church of concrete and brick was designed by Hulme, Upright and Partners and completed in 1971.

To the side and round the back of the modern church, the Sunday School still stands in the school yard as marked on the 1898 map and exactly as described by Arnold Bennett in his novel, Anna of the Five Towns.

Bennett called the Swan Bank church 'Duck Bank Chapel'

photos: Dec 1999

Arnold Bennett was at the height of his fame when this photo was
taken in the 1920's in Burslem with it's cobbled streets.

In the centre is the old Swan Bank Methodist Church, built 1901, demolished 1960's