Whitewell Bottom Methodist church had its beginnings on the first Sunday of March 1849 when 30 people met at Brockclough in the cottage of Elizabeth Eastwood with the hymns sung to the accompaniment of a violin played by James Ingham.

After using various buildings around the village it was decided in 1859 to built a new chapel. A plot of land was chosen on the west side of the main road (where Whitewell Bottom Council School would later stand) but for some reason the purchase did not take place. Eventually land was purchased on the east sid of the main road at the north end of the village. The foundation stone was laid in 1861 and at the cost of £500 the church was opened on the 14th September 1862, and with a further increase in the congregation major extension work was done in 1873. By 1888 the building was once again getting to small and at a meeting on 1st April 1889 it was decided to build a new church, costing £1,400 at the side of the existing one and use the old church as a Sunday School. The foundation stone was laid on the 18th July 1891 and the church was opened on 9th August 1892.

By the late twentieth century the church was in need of much repair but with a dwindling congregation the decision was taken in 1986 to vacate the main building and move into the school. The church was sold for business use in 1987.

Baptism Registers 1863 - 1975 on film at Rawtenstall Library (original register at Lancashire Record Office)