Can you imagine Cambridge’s Castle End, once known as a rough area? It was a place full of drunkards, prostitutes, and an abundance of public houses. Yet, it was also a closely-knit working-class community. We are standing in front of what was the Castle End Mission.
Founded in 1884, Castle End Mission addressed the religious and educational needs of the poor. Frances Whibley, wife of local businessman Mark Whibley, started it all. She initiated the Castle End Men’s Morning School in Kettle’s Yard. She was a founding member of Victoria Road Congregational Church.
By 1884, Mrs. Whibley had enough money to build the Mission Hall. Undergraduates even assisted with teaching at the Castle End Mission. The foundation stone was laid by Professor James Stuart of Trinity College Cambridge on March 6, 1884. He was a professor of Mechanism and Applied Mechanics. From 1884, James Stuart was also a Liberal MP for Hackney.
The Castle End Mission building is two stories high. It has red brick with limestone banding. The roof is made of concrete pantiles. The Mission served one of the most impoverished areas in Cambridge. It was described as a village within a town. Locals knew it as ‘The Borough’.
Members of Emmanuel Congregational Church on Trumpington Street ran the mission hall. Undergraduates, including Own Seaman, later the editor of Punch, also helped. Besides religious services, the Castle End Mission offered classes and clubs. During harsh winters, it even ran a soup kitchen. Local drama and music groups as well as religious fellowships used it.
In 1913, it became known as Castle End Working Men’s Institute. A wedding took place here in 1939. Bert Harrison and Violet Cullom had a guard of honor. The Mission Campaign girls formed it.
From 1997 to 2006, Castle End Mission housed the Eastern Region Ministry Course. Before that, it was known as the East Anglian Ministerial Training Course.
The Castle End Mission closed its doors in 2014. In 2016, the trust decided to sell the building. The sale was finalized in June 2018. The mission was formally wound up in 2019. Its funds were distributed among several Cambridge churches. These included Saint Giles’ Parish, Cambridge Methodist Circuit, Saint Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, and Downing Place United Reformed Church.
Today, the building is home to the Cambridge Chinese Christian Church. It was formed in 1997. Sunday services are held in both Cantonese and Mandarin. Thus, the Castle End Mission’s legacy continues as a place of community and worship.