Whispers in the Brickwork: The Haunted Story of Branch Road’s Primitive Methodist Church

At the corner of Branch Road in Armley, Leeds, stands a building that has lived many lives. Once a chapel, later a cinema, then a carpet store—its exterior may have shifted with the decades, but something older lingers within. Some say that if you press your ear to the cool red brick late at night, you can still hear the hymns—and sometimes, other things.

The story begins in 1877, when the Primitive Methodists built their second chapel here, replacing a small place of worship called Ebenezer. Designed by Thomas Howdill, a local architect, the building was born from faith and ambition. But it wasn’t long before the congregation outgrew it. By 1905, a third and grander chapel rose in its place, the work of Thomas's son, Charles Barker Howdill.

It was more than just a church. It was a vessel of memory. After the First World War, a somber memorial board inside listed five local men who never came home. Their names were etched in wood—but perhaps also into the very air of the building. Strange chills have been felt near the old memorial site, even long after the church closed.

By 1910, a cinema took over the original ebenezer chapel, and laughter replaced sermons. But projectionists and cleaners sometimes reported odd sensations—phantom footsteps in empty aisles, a voice whispering a name no one had spoken in years.

The years rolled on. The chapel became a laundry, then a supermarket, and finally, in 1979, Mike’s Carpets, whose bold signage masked the quiet secrets within. Even as rugs were unrolled and cash registers rang, visitors would sometimes pause, unsettled by sudden drafts or the flickering of the lights—especially near the rear of the building, where the old vestry once stood.

In 1996, the structure was granted Grade II listed status, recognized for its striking architecture. But for some, that designation felt like something more: a formal acknowledgement of a building too stubborn, too storied, to fade.

When the Armley Townscape Heritage Initiative unveiled a plaque in 2017 to mark the building’s restoration, it celebrated a piece of civic pride. But it also reopened a door to the past. And through that door, the curious still step—some seeking history, others sensing mystery.

So if you ever find yourself on Branch Road, linger a moment. Peer through the windows. Ask about the war memorial. Speak the name “Ebenezer.” The past is not gone here—it breathes behind the walls, it flickers in the corners. And maybe, just maybe, the spirits of Armley’s Primitive Methodists are still waiting for someone to listen.