John Wesley preached in the open air in an orchard about a mile from Altrincham (believed to be in Oldfield Brow) and near the Market Place, in Church Street. He also preached in an early Wesleyan meeting house in the town in 1761, and at the first Wesleyan chapel to be built within the borough. This was opened in Chapel Walk (now Regent Road) on February 17th, 1788; Wesley's visit was on Easter Monday, 1790, within a year of his death, and his text, from 1 Peter 1 : 3 was one of triumph in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

The Altrincham Church was associated with various Manchester Circuits until 1850. when it became part of the newly formed Altrincham and Sale Circuit. Meanwhile a group associated with the Methodist New Connexion - the earliest offshoot of Wesleyan Methodism - who had been meeting in a kitchen in Norman's Place, decided to erect their own sanctuary, and the resultant chapel and two-storied school was opened in George Street (pictured right) in 1821. The two, roomed school operated on weekdays and Sundays for about forty years, when, owing to pressure of numbers, a larger school was erected in 1860. which permitted the use of the former rooms as a caretaker's cottage. Singing in the Chapel was at first accompanied by a bass fiddle until such time as a small organ could be purchased. The Society became a centre for the training of ministerial students for the New Connexion, under the Rev. T. Allin and his successor, and the success of the chapel seemed secure. However, changes in stations within the Manchester South Circuit, of which George Street was a part, led to a reduction in the effectiveness in the Society during the late 1860's. The addition of a third minister to the Circuit, and the ready ministrations of the Rev. Samuel Meldrum, and the Rev. S. Smith, retired ministers who came to live in the area, brought new vigour, and the Society entered the twentieth century in good heart. The Methodist New Connexion joined with the United Methodist Free Church and the Bible Christians in 1903 to become the United Methodist Church, which was one of the three connexions which combined to become the Methodist Church in 1932. By this time George Street was the oldest existing methodist Church in the town, having celebrated its Centenary some ten years earlier, but the premises continued to serve the centre of the town for more than thirty years more, until the present scheme came into active operation in September, 1966. The George Street Society maintained its sturdy, independent witness throughout its separate existence, with a special emphasis latterly on the ministry of song, and the leaders of the Church have played a virile part in the formation of the present united Society. 

The Bank Street Church (pictured left) was built by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1866 as a replacement for the structure in Chapel Walk, which had become too small to meet the demands of a growing Wesleyan population, which had already branched out in the opposite direction by building a chapel on Rose Hill. Bowdon. in 1857. (This was subsequently replaced by the Bowdon "Dome" Chapel (pictured below right), opened on June 7th. 1880). The organ from the Chapel Walk building was moved to the gallery in Bank Street, and services in the new Church began on May 10th, 1866. The new Society prospered during the remainder of the 19th century, with extensions being made to the new premises in 1886. The Sunday School connected with the Church was held at the Methodist Day School in New Street, and there are still those among us who remember the dividing of their Sunday activities between the two sets of buildings in the years before 1925. when New Street was closed, prior to further extensions of the Bank Street school premises in 1928.

The Bank Street Society maintained a proud record over the years of its separate history, sponsoring missions in the Manchester Road and Borough areas. The second world war and the requisitioning of the school premises by the Ministry of Labour led to a severe curtailing of activities, but the small Society celebrated their centenary in 1966 in the best of heart, knowing full well that within months they would be freely relinquishing their premises to the combined society for the first two years of its united existence. The Primitive Methodists began to hold services in Altrincham in a loft over a stable in Newtown in 1835. when the cause was associated with the Warrington Circuit. Early attempts to establish the cause were not notably successful, and the small society was transferred to the Lymm Circuit in 1871. The 21 members in 1874 decided that it was time to build themselves a church, and the resultant Chapel with a Sunday School beneath was opened in the autumn of 1875 in Oxford Road (pictured below left).

From a business point of view. the whole venture seemed doomed from the start. The new church seated 300, the membership was 16 at the time of opening, the debt on the property was £956, and, with accumulating interest, this actually increased over the first year. Nevertheless, the faith, courage and tenacity of the pioneers was justified, the debt was cleared, and the Society, under the guidance of the Rev. George Mitchell, began to prosper. A vigorous Sunday School work was begun under the leadership Mr. Frederick Kean, with the result that the new Sunday School premises opened in July, 1922 were designated the Kean Memorial Schools in tribute. Following Methodist Union, the Oxford Road society came into the Altrincham Circuit, sharing a minister with George Street, until March, 1960, when the members took the courageous decision to close their premises in the interests of a closer Methodist unity. The members were transferred to other churches in the Circuit, but many of them have been gladly reunited in the new Altrincham Society, and are pleased to record that the proceeds of the Oxford Road sale are invested in the foundations at Barrington Road.

The building of a housing area in the Hale Moss neighbourhood inspired the Wesleyan Church to begin a Mission to the new community, and a room in a factory in Hamon Road was rented for preaching services and for Sunday School work. 

The project met with immediate success, demanding more permanent facilities, and the Borough Road Wesleyan Mission (pictured right), with chapel, classrooms and vestries, was subsequently erected and opened on February 13th. 1884. The Mission was so well integrated into the life of its community, particularly in its work among children and young people, that it became "our chapel" to almost every house in the area. For many years the work was sponsored from Bank Street, but following the entire rebuilding of the premises in 1933 and the concentrated work of a series of Wesley Deaconesses under the direction of the Hale minister, the Society established itself in its own right, losing its "Mission" label. When the decision to combine societies was made, there was a genuine fear at Borough Road that its great impact among children might be lost in the move to Woodlands Road, but the devoted work of its officers kept the wastage to a minimum, and the characteristic emphasis of the Youth Work patterns are now well woven into the texture of the new Church. The Mission in Broadheath (pictured below left) was launched by the Wesleyans in Altrincham in the same year that Bank Street was built. Its close proximity to the parent church led to direct supervision in the early years, when the centre of the new work was a group of cottages near the railway station. Again the cause prospered and eventually a prominent site was secured on the Manchester Road, and suitable premises opened on October 6th, 1897. 

Over the years a flourishing Society developed in an area virtually untouched by other free church influences, and some outstanding lay leadership was maintained. with some family influences being exercised throughout the whole of the Church's life, and continuing beyond it. The Broadheath Society maintained a close link with Bank Street, sharing its minister throughout most of the years. At the time when the Altrincham merger became a practical proposition, the Broadheath society was not included in the scheme, as it was felt by many that a useful service could still be rendered from Manchester Road. However, the principal officers, foreseeing the possibility of a difficult future for a small church situated midway between large new Methodist centres at the Avenue, Sale and at Altrincham, decided to add their considerable resources to the Barrington Road project, and thus complete the scheme of Methodist amalgamation in Altrincham. The scheme for the new Altrincham Methodist Church was carefully prepared and executed, and the highest tribute must be paid to the representative Steering Committee which faced all the challenges of integration and planning in a spirit of full co-operation and devotion. Four ministers - the Revs. William Winchurch, Ralph Pritchard, Herbert Lindley and Roy Gillett - have been actively involved in various stages of the scheme, and it is a matter of deep regret that the Rev. William Winchurch did not live to see the completion of the work which became so close to his heart. By January, 1965, the four Societies had begun to do as many things together as possible. On August 28th, 1966, the closing services were held in the Borough Road, Broadheath and George Street buildings, and on the following Sunday, the Bank Street society was renamed the Altrincham Methodist Church, Woodlands Road. The combined society began its life with good Sunday congregations, a large Sunday School, and a full programme of midweek activities which augured well for the future. Work on the new Church and Community Centre began in April. 1967, and at the Stone laying Ceremony on July lst, 1967, prominent personalities in the civic and religious life of the town combined to ask God's blessing on the venture.

The building work was completed in 1968 and the Opening & Dedication Service was held on Friday 6th September of that year. The new Church has been designed by Messrs. Cooper and Jackson, and constructed by Messrs. A. Cheetham, Ltd., as a centre of Christian community life and witness. The Sanctuary has permanent seating for 287, with a circulation area large enough to permit some additional accommodation. The Assembly Hall, with full stage, lighting. and amplification facilities, scats 200. Additional rooms included a Coffee Bar, Lounge, Recreation Rooms, Offices and a Caretaker's Flat.

Sunday worship began on September 8th at 11.00am, with a Family Service and was followed at 6.30pm by a service of thanksgiving. Both being by conducted by Rev. Roy Gillett.

Over 30 years later the church is still thriving and, in many respects, going from strength to strength. Little or nothing had changed with the structure of the building until 1991 at which time the church embarked on a project of re-development. The main aims were to create a new Coffee Bar, which would be serviced by a commercial standard kitchen, to provide a luncheon club facility for the needy of the town, extend existing recreation rooms, provide a church office and improve facilities for the disabled. By the time we had finished we had also carried out improvements to the sanctuary - raising the dais at the front of the church, providing a permanent "home" for the music group, installing a new sound system and providing an induction loop system for the hard of hearing and last but certainly not least adding a Prayer Chapel.

The Prayer Chapel was the major bonus to come out of the church redevelopment. Although not envisaged in the early plans , the prayer chapel, once the seeds had been sown, soon became an item of great enthusiasm for the Church Council and Property Committee as the possibilities for it's use became apparent. Now the chapel is used at least six days every week - Monday to Friday for morning prayers and devotional and Sundays, before and after worship, for quiet contemplation.