House of God Nightclub, England

This former Methodist Central Hall was converted into a nightclub and live music venue in the 1990s. The House of God Nightclub closed several years ago, and was falling into disrepair at the time of my visit. Approval has been granted to convert this building into a prestigious 150 bedroom hotel, complete with restaurants and a basement nightclub.

The Methodist Central Hall (1900s-1990s)

The three storey building is built out of red brick and terracota, with a tall clock tower. It was built in 1903, and was used as a Methodist Central Hall until the early 1990s before being converted into a nightclub.

The ground floor at street level has twelve bays of shops, several of which retain their original shopfronts. These shops would have been rented out to shopkeepers by the church, to bring in additional funds. These Methodist Central Halls were built in major towns and cities across Britain between the 1880s and 1940s.

The Methodist Church preached temperance, and targeted the working classes with these large halls. Shops around the hall would not be allowed to sell alcohol, or service any other vices the church deemed inappropriate. Services were held on a Sunday, these halls were also venues for Church-organised entertainment and community regeneration projects. In the evening patrons would be encouraged to sign pledges not to drink alcohol, and join the temperance movement.

The Nightclub Years (1990s-2010s)

This club was a popular dance, drum n’ bass and rave venue in the 1990s and 2000s. The building had the capacity for around 300 partygoers. People would travel the length and breadth of the country to visit one of the best rave nights in Britain. As well as the impressive main church hall, there are around 30 other rooms of various sizes spread over several floors.

There have been several deaths on or around this nightclub over the decades. A drunken reveler jumped off the tower in the 1990s, dying on impact when he reached the street. In the 2000’s there were two more deaths; a nightclubber was murdered outside, and another died from a drug overdose.