THE last hymns and prayers have been said at Langcliffe Methodist Chapel as the congregation said farewell to their imposing church on the green.

After 150 years the church is being closed due to a dwindling congregation and the high cost of repairs.

Built in 1851, churchgoers originally met in the Wesleyan School next door to the current building.

Over the years Langcliffe developed into a bustling village and in pre-war days offered numerous shops and services including Parker's Shoe Shop, the Co-operative, Marchbank's Grocers and Post Office, Mrs Jackman's sweetshop - where she made summertime ice cream - Parker's Off Licence and Gibson's Butchers. Jack Ball also ran a greengrocers in the village and made deliveries by horse and cart.

Church organist Irene Bowker, 86, who was born in the village recalls how Jack would say: "I'm going south," which meant travelling as far as Long Preston.

Now living in Giggleswick she says Langcliffe and the church still feel like her home.

With a thriving village, boosted by the mill workers of Cornwall and Norfolk brought in by Hector Christie to work in Langcliffe's cotton mill, the Methodists built a new chapel in 1903 to meet the needs of the community.

Sitting on top of the "new" chapel is a possibly unique symbol of the non-conformists' tee-total beliefs. Derek Soames, a property steward of the church, said the structure, which resembles a clock tower, is in fact a table above which stands an upturned wine glass.

Fellow steward Ronald Fenner, who lives in the village with his wife Josephine, adds: "It is a statement of their strict beliefs and is the only such structure we know of."

Records show that in 1802 two classes were held in Langcliffe led by preacher William Cooper and leader Matthias Wildman.

In 1822 a few keen workers started a Sunday School in a barn behind what is now the old vicarage, later moving to a former weaving shop at Hope Hill.

However, meetings were generally held in members' homes although none were large enough to accommodate the congregation.

A chapel was needed and finally land was bought from a Mr Bashall, of Langcliffe Mill Estate. In 1851 the chapel opened and a meeting held the following year attracted 150 people.

Records state that "one of the speakers, who was a good old Methodist, thanked God he had lived to see the opening of a chapel in Langcliffe and was also thankful that up to that time he had been preserved from reading newspapers". These are pre-Craven Herald days of course!

The original building, later used as the Sunday School, celebrated its centenary in 1952 while a year later the congregation commemorated the jubilee of the current chapel.

Mrs Bowker, who has played the organ at the church for 70 years, recalls Sunday School anniversaries, harvest festivals and chapel celebrations when the church was full. Yet nearly 100 years on the church stands with a congregation of just nine with only two living in Langcliffe.

Rev Tony Dent said: "The church is now too big for the congregation and does need some repair. We have nine active members and of those nine, seven live in Settle and some are driving past St John's Methodist Church to come to Langcliffe.

"They just wondered is it worth spending thousands of pounds renovating the building when so many of them live in Settle and can unite with St John's?"

While there was some sadness about the closure, members felt it was the right way forward.

Mr Dent said: "They have made this decision while they are still active members of the church. They have worshipped together most of their lives and are making this move while they are still all together. We have run a discussion group and there is no reason why this can't continue to be a club within the enlarged congregation of St John's."

The last members of the congregation of Langcliffe Methodist Church are Bob Monk, Rowena O'Neill, Olive Monk, Dorothy Holdsworth, Joan Wallbank, Derek Soames, Irene Bowker and Ronald and Josephine Fenner,

Mr Dent led the last Sunday Service at the weekend and members joined together with fellow circuit members for a united service yesterday (Thursday) before the church finally closed.

It is expected the chapel and former Sunday School will be offered for sale probably for conversion into homes.