In August 1987, the shattering news was leaked by a friend with inside information that British Rail was planning to sell the land on which the Mission stood, for which it had charged a "peppercorn rent." The Railway Mission General Secretary approached British Rail  head office regarding a pre-auction purchase as sitting tenants, at a reasonable price. (Two previous requests to purchase the land had been turned down.)

He could make no headway with them; he just met a blank wall. In fact no intimation of the proposed sale was ever received from British Rail. A catalogue, eventually obtained from the auctioneers, revealed that the Hall, which actually belonged to the church members, was up for sale also.

Special Church meetings were held to decide on a course of action; also a special evening of prayer, which was supported by many local churches.

A solicitor was employed but British Rail still claimed the right to sell the Hall, as it stood on land of their ownership.

At the Auction in November, 1987, through the results of the research done by Mrs Gloria J. Abbott into the Mission's history, the solicitor was able to prove that the Hall should be classified as a temporary structure, as it was bolted to its foundations. Consequently the auctioneers had no alternative but to withdraw the building from offer.

The sale of the land continued and was purchased, in faith, by the Church for £29,000, against commercial bidding. At the time, the Church only had £8,000 to £9,000. Offers of interest-free loans and gifts flooded in from Churches, organisations and individuals -- amounts large and small, from rich and poor, from far and near. The amount needed was raised within weeks and the loans were quickly repaid. It had been a modern-day miracle.

Following the sale, Trustees were appointed and a new church formed, with its own constitution. The big changeover was made in August 1990. The name was altered to "Fornham Road Free Church" and 95 years of history was at an end.

The inauguration of the new Church was held on 23rd February 1991

In March 1996 the Hall was given Grade 2 Listed Building status.

© - Gloria J. Abbott

"Sincere thanks to Mrs Gloria J. Abbott, who did the laborious task of researching the above information and who so generously made her material and personal insights available to the present owners.”