Westminster Central Hall, London

Westminster Central Hall also known as the Methodist Central Hall is a Methodist Church in the City of Westminster, London. It stands at the corner of Tothill Street and Storey's Gate, and is bordered by Matthew Parker Street, in the vicinity of Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and Westminster Abbey.

The Methodist Central Hall was built on the site of the Royal Aquarium, Music Hall and Imperial Theatre which stood on that spot from 1876 to 1903. Its construction was to mark the centenary of the passing of John Wesley, the Anglican cleric credited with founding the Methodist movement.

The funding for building Methodist Central Hall came from the Wesleyan Methodist Twentieth Century Fund, a building fund set up where each Methodist, regardless of wealth, contributed one guinea each. The amount came to approximately 1,025,000 guineas (at that time one guinea equals 21 shillings, or one pound one shilling).

The Methodist Central Hall served as the headquarters of the Methodist Church from 1932 to 2000. It had been used for other purposes, most notably as the venue of the first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946. Famous statesmen including Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill have delivered speeches there, while a performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was staged there.

How to reach the Westminster Central Hall

Take the Circle Line or District Line to the St James's Park Tube Station, or the Circle Line, District Line or Jubilee Line to the Westminster Tube Station, and walk from either stations.

Location Map of Westminster Central Hall

Click here to view the Google Map to Westminster Central Hall.

List of Churches in London