Methodism first came to the Pannal area in about 1753. In the Pateley Bridge area, Methodists were persecuted for their faith by being dunked in the local sewer. At Pannal, they faired rather better by being dunked in a pond.
The first prominent Methodist in Pannal was Bryan Procter who live in an old thatched cottage in Main Street, known as Procter's Cottage (Procter's Cottage later became the home of the author's ancestors, the Wilks, and was used as the village Post Office till 1927). He lived with his widowed mother and they formed the first Methodist class (house church) in the area, and entertained travelling ministers.
In 1778, the first Wesleyan Chapel was built in Pannal. It was replaced by a red brick building, opened on 19th January 1905, at Dawcross, on the corner of Spring and Yew Lanes. It was also known by the locals as the Red Church.
A commemerative foundation stone was struck and layed in 1932, although it now appears that they got the date wrong - it shows 1788 instead of 1778.
