Providence Baptist Chapel, Dilton Marsh

George Phillips, the pastor, and some of the congregation withdrew from the Westbury Leigh Baptist Church after a disagreement over doctrine. They held their services in a farmyard at Dilton Marsh for six months as there was no house or barn large enough for the congregation. A site for a chapel at Penknap was given by a member of the congregation, Stephen Applegate, and the first service was held in the new Providence chapel in the autumn of 1810. Phillips was the first minister and the differences with the Westbury Leigh chapel, half a mile away were settled. Phillips died in 1833 when the congregation numbered 175. At this time both Baptist chapels were using the streams at Boyer's Mill and Stormre for baptisms. In 1859 some members complained that the minister was preaching Arianism and left, equipping a house as a chapel. This did not flourish.

A Sunday school had been started before 1810 in unoccupied shops and moved into the chapel after the pews were fitted. It was conducted in the chapel for 25 years and many hundreds of children, mostly the offspring of weavers, were taught to read. Average attendance varied between 100 and 190. A schoolroom was added in 1835, when the chapel was enlarged, and by 1837 there were 200 children attending, taught by 40 teachers. In 1853 two new classrooms and a vestry were built and the burial ground was extended in 1859. By 1890 there were 142 members with 180 pupils in the Sunday school.