Blandford Forum URC

For the next 3 years he led the congregation in secret meetings in unrecorded places under the threat of persecution. These meetings continued under other unknown leadership until on 18 November 1672 a licence was granted to hold a Congregational Service in the house of John Paige in Blandford Forum.

At some point Mr Reynolds became the leader of the meeting and he continued with this work until 1693.

By 1692 the congregation were worshipping in Langhore’s Barn on the site of the present church and in 1711 the barn was demolished and the first church building erected on the site.

A devastating fire destroyed the whole of the town of Blandford in 1731 in which about 16 people lost their lives and almost everyone lost their homes, and the church and its records were destroyed. The town was rebuilt with the help of donations from far and wide.

The then minister of this church Revd Malachi Blake wrote a book about the fire which was reprinted in 1981.

The church was rebuilt in 1732, a Sunday school was commenced in 1802 an in 1803 the Burial Ground was first used. In 1867 the previous building was demolished and a new church, the present building was erected and in 1880 the Church Hall and Junior Rooms were erected. In 1921 an oak screen was erected in memory of those who lost their lives in World War I and a new organ was installed in memory of all the past and present servants of the church. This was replaced by an electric organ in 1990.

Between 2004 and 2007 improvements to provide disabled access were completed.