Former Institute

James Wilkinson became the minister at Keld Congregational Church in 1838. In 1854, he founded a Mutual Improvement Society, and in 1861 arranged for the construction of a building for its meetings. The chapel had just been rebuilt, and Wilkinson saved money by reusing the old chapel roof on the new building. It became the Literary Institute, with a library and reading table, and opened in 1862. The building was grade II listed in 1986. In 2011, the Keld Resource Centre converted the ground floor stable and carriage room into the Countryside and Heritage Centre, a local museum. The upper floor, which was derelict for some years, was in 2017 converted into an events and conference space.