Maiden Street Methodist Church
Maiden Street Methodist Church is a former Methodist church in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built in 1866–67 to the designs of Foster and Wood of Bristol. The church was the victim of fire in 2002 and was subsequently replaced by the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church which opened in 2009. The church, which is a Grade II* listed building, remains a ruin and awaits redevelopment. History The church at Maiden Street was built in 1866–67 as a Wesleyan-Methodist Church on a site previously occupied by the King's Head Inn. The foundation stone was laid by William Dingley of Sherborne on 28 June 1866. It was built by Stephen Brown of Weymouth to the designs of Messrs. Foster and Wood of Bristol for a cost of £3,700. The church opened for Divine worship on 12 December 1867, with seated accommodation for 1,000 people. The church underwent internal alterations in 1955 and a £160,000 restoration was carried out in 1998-99. 2002 fire and redevelopment proposals In January 2002, the church was a victim of fire, which left it as a roofless shell. The cause of the fire was not determined, but due to the high costs of restoring the building, the local