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Church History

After the death of the founder of Methodism John Wesley, some members of the denomination began to feel that the church had lost its former zeal and that it was time to get back to basics. Hence the 'Primitive' branch of Methodism began in the north of England in 1811 and spread throughout the country. High Town society became the first in Bedfordshire and was founded by two preachers who walked to Luton in 1839 from the newly established preaching 'station' in Aylesbury.

The 'Prims' as they came to be known had a rough start; because they sang and preached in the streets with such fervour they were known for many years as the 'ranters'. On the market Square in Luton they were pelted with fruit from troublemakers in the crowd. Sincerity of those who came to speak soon won the hearts of local people and they were offered accommodation in the local Donkey hall- the area now known as High Town and which remains a conservation area to this day. The Methodists were soon offered a yard to build a Meeting House and building was complete by 1839 .This first building gave way to the expanding Railway and was demolished in order to excavate the land. A much grander building was built in 1853 a little further up the road- where it still stands.