NHER 41251 (Building record) - Former Baptist Chapel

Former Baptist Chapel.

General Baptist Chapel, disused. Aligned east to west with hipped roof. West front in white brick, three bays on two storeys of straight headed windows; central upper window with ogee moulding to lintel. Actual woodwork replaced; example of original multipane sash now fossilised in east wall. Central door between double pilasters of rectangular section, lintel painted with ANNO DOMINI MDCCCLXLIV. Side walls of red brick in English bond, have three sash windows on two levels.

Interior has gallery at west end with winding stairs at northwest. Supported on two iron columns with baluster above each in gallery front. Semi-box pews; balustrade at east end before raised area over baptistery. Central low pulpit, organ to south, painted texts on east wall. Ventilation roses in ceiling. Various marble and metal memorial plaques.
To rear is extension of 1911 with tall windows breaking into dormers, various outshuts, several foundation stones laid by various groups - scholars, women, etc.

Crowded graveyard to west, mostly headstones but one good pilastered monument. Railings along road. Isolated position, by Baptist Road, should be noted.
Planning permission extant for conversion to house.
See (S1).
E. Rose (NLA), 10 October 2005.

December 2003.
Recording of burial memorials in the churchyard.
See report (S2) for further details. This survey is also noted in (S3).
J. Allen (NLA), 29 June 2006.

Building gutted before October 2005. Developer states all internal and some external memorials given back to families of deceased, other external memorials removed; organ given to firm of Boggis and Co; other fittings destroyed except for some woodwork items to be reused not in the original position.
E. Rose (NLA), 10 October 2005.