A little bit of history
For over a century, believers have gathered at Highbury Cross in Coleford to worship God and share the message of Jesus Christ. From its humble beginnings in a corrugated iron hut brought from a former army camp after the First World War, Coleford Gospel Hall has stood as a quiet witness to God’s faithfulness. Through missions, Sunday Schools, and community outreach, generations have come to know the same timeless truth — that the gospel still changes lives today.
1919 - 1925
Beginnings
1920s - 1940s
Tent Missions and Revival
1950s - 1970s
The Growing Fellowship
1970s - Present
Children's work & outreach
Beginnings at Highbury Cross​​
The story of Coleford Gospel Hall begins just after the First World War. Around 1919 - 1920, a local farmer named Harry Beer purchased a corrugated steel building from the army camp at Devizes and re-erected it on land he had bought at Highbury Cross, Coleford.
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According to local accounts, John Beer, who lived at St Edmunds Farm, Vobster, undertook the difficult journey to Devizes by horse and cart to collect the second-hand sections of the ex-war camp hut, which the War Department was selling off. The return trip, with its heavy load, likely took him two days. The building was soon established on its present site, becoming the meeting place for a small group of believers who gathered simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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​John and his wife were among those in fellowship in the early years, along with their children Harry, Roland, and Goldsworthy. Although John later moved to Oldford, near Frome, Harry remained in Coleford as the tenant of the farm. He and his wife raised four children - John, Michael, David, and Joy. Harry’s grandson, Tim Beer, now serves as a missionary in Zambia, continuing the family’s Christian legacy.​
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Early Missions and Evangelistic Efforts
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In 1925, Harry Beer purchased a small plot of land opposite the corrugated hall, intending to build a more permanent structure. However, those plans were halted by the General Strike of 1926, which caused widespread uncertainty and forced some local families to seek work elsewhere.
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Instead, the land became a base for tent missions, which played a major role in the village’s spiritual life. Among the missions remembered are:
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Garner Thomas – Early 1920s
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Mr Hindmore – Late 1920s or early 1930s
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Jimmy Hodgson – 1932 (photographs survive from this campaign)
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David Hyslop – 1946 and 1947
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Following the 1946 mission, Treacey Nicholas, Nancy Collier, and John Beer were baptised at Trowbridge Gospel Hall.
Earlier, in the 1920s, a mission held at Coleford Temperance Hall led to several conversions, including Leonard Collier and Minnie Nicholas. Minnie was later baptised shortly after her daughter Treacey’s birth and continued faithfully in fellowship until her passing in the late 1990s – aged 99. Leonard often recalled that after his conversion, he felt as if he was “walking on air,” and within a week he was preaching in the open air. Groups of brethren would regularly cycle on Saturday afternoons to nearby villages to share the gospel.
Later decades also saw tent missions on various sites around Coleford:
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1970 – David and Eileen Willcox (Counties Evangelistic Work, Somerset) held a two-week mission at what is now Mendip Vale.
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1973 – Ray Mead and Geoff Bennett (Frome Gospel Hall) led a one-week mission in the garden of Rush Ash Farm, then owned by David and Shirley Cooper.
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1975 – David Willcox returned for another mission, this time on the village sports field, where the floodlit facility now stands.
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Sunday School and Children’s Work
A Sunday School has been part of the assembly’s life since its earliest days. In the 1930s, around 100 children attended — a remarkable number for such a small hall. Minnie Nicholas taught a class of twelve girls during that period, an impressive feat given the cramped conditions.
The Sunday School has continued almost without interruption, with only a brief pause in the late 1960s and early 1970s. From 1970 to 2014, an annual outing became a much-loved village tradition. Coaches filled with excited children and families would set off for Swanage, and occasionally for Brean Sands, Sandbanks, or Weymouth. Remarkably, every outing since 1971 was blessed with fine weather, even when it began raining in Coleford!
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Children’s Missions and Holiday Bible Clubs
Since 1970, an annual children’s mission has been held each October. Over the years, many evangelists have taken part, including David Willcox, Ray Mead, Clive Williams, John Baker, Sid Mountstevens, Jim McMaster, Robert Plant, Steven Baker, Gordon McCracken, and David Loveridge.
In addition, from the late 1990s, a Holiday Bible Club has been held each February, bringing the message of the Bible to children through stories, songs, and activities – supported by visiting evangelists and local believers.
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Carers and Toddlers
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In 2004, a Carers and Toddlers group was launched, meeting every Thursday morning during school term time. It continues to provide a warm, friendly space for local parents, carers, and young children to meet, play, and connect with one another.
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​​​​​​​​Outreach and Ongoing Work
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During the 1970s, the assembly ran a monthly Saturday evening outreach featuring Christian films or guest speakers. Several young people came to faith through these events.
Over the years, young people’s meetings have been held at various times, and today, gatherings for children and teenagers continue on Friday evenings.
Weekly Gospel meetings remain a central feature of life at Coleford Gospel Hall, and members regularly distribute Christian literature in the village and surrounding areas. Each December, households receive an attractive calendar for the coming year – beautifully illustrated with a Bible verse, continuing the long tradition of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the community.
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The faces and buildings may have changed, but the message proclaimed from Coleford Gospel Hall remains the same - the good news of Jesus Christ.
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