Methodist Lycett Memorial Chapel - Mile End Road

The Methodist Lycett Memorial Chapel stood on the corner of Mile End Road and Whitehorse Lane.  On the opposite corner of Whitehorse Lane are William Graves, Pawnbrokers and Maxie Cohen, Men’s Outfitters.  The Chapel was named after Sir F Lycett who had taken great interest in the work of the Methodists in the East End.  The Lycett Chapel was opened in 1881 and formed part of the Wesleyan East End Mission.  It was to play an important part in the lives of the local community.

In the First World War the Lycett Chapel had one of the first National Kitchens in the country.  Here people could obtain cheap wholesome food.  It had been opened by Mrs Lloyd George, wife of the Prime Minister, in 1917.  A Scout Pack, 30th Stepney - The Lycett Scouts, was formed at the Chapel in 1917.  However,  for local people, especially children, it was “the pictures” that pulled in the crowds.  The Methodist had realised that, first slide shows and then moving images could enhance their ability to communicate their message to the wider community.  They were at the forefront in the development of the cinema.  The Lycett Chapel was one of their venues with seating for 500 picturegoers.

In the 1930s, in keeping with the times, a major refurbishment was carried out.  The area in front of the Lycett Chapel was cleared and an art-deco front erected with a tower and a shop at street level.  Maxie Cohen Men’s outfitters occupied the shop.  Like most of the East End, the Lycett Chapel received its share of bomb damage during the Second World War.  It was not until 1954 that bomb damage repairs were carried out.

The post war years radically changed the East End.  A fall in the local population by a third, the difficulty of the Methodist to recruit dedicated staff and the decrease in the congregation, led to the decision to close the Lycett Chapel in 1962.  The Lycett Scouts were also moved.  After being used as a warehouse, the Lycett Chapel was demolished in 1971.