The current building 

Redditch Circuit Quarterly Meeting Minutes for 3rd January 1872 record that

“It was moved by Mr. Avery and seconded by Mr. Shrimpton that the consent of this Meeting be given to the Trustees of the Studley Society to sell the old chapel and to erect a new one at a cost not exceeding £300”.

This meeting recorded that the Circuit contained 464 Members with 45 on trial (i.e. attending membership classes).

On 25th March I872, the Quarterly Meeting passed a further resolution:

“It was proposed by Mr. Avery and seconded by Mr. Allcock that permission be given to the Trustees of the Studley Chapel to enlarge their former Chapel Scheme, the expenditure not to exceed £500”.

Sanction was given on 5th April 1872 for the purchase of land and cottages, fencing, etc. and construction of a new Chapel at a cost not to exceed £800, at least £460 of which was to be raised by the Trustees.

The Wesleyan Chapel Committee on 5th December 1873 gave sanction to erect a Chapel at a cost of £900, half defrayed for 12 months and the remainder to be paid off within 10 years.  The Committee granted £20 towards the cost

In fact, the foundation stone had been laid on 20th May 1872 by H. James Esq. of Redditch and the new Chapel is said to have opened exactly a year later.

Curiously, the opening is not recorded in the Quarterly Meeting Minutes.  This was a time of much building; Mappleborough Green Chapel opened in 1870, Alcester in 1872 and permission to purchase land and build a new Chapel at Headless Cross was granted in 1873.  Minutes of that time invariably start with appreciation for the provider of “the sumptuous dinner previously enjoyed”, so perhaps some news items were forgotten (sometime later a resolution was passed to cease serving alcohol at these dinners!).