Building record 1933/14/1 - John Drage Chapel of Rest & Attached Walls

Former Friends meeting house, now chapel of rest. Built in 1690, but much altered in the late 18th and early 19th century. Squared coursed ironstone with slate roof. Originally probably single-unit chapel. Single-storey, 2-window range of 19th century casements under shallow arch heads. 19th century gabled porch between window range has 20th century doors with glazing above. Stone stacks at ends. It was closed in 1912 and subsequently converted for use as a funeral parlour.

{1} The Friends Meeting House, Finedon is located on High Street. The building is listed grade II and is currently empty. The building was used as a chapel of rest in the late C20th. The building is dated 1699 and is constructed of ironstone with a slate roof. The building is of single storey construction with a small porch to the front and a brick extension to the rear (north) of the building.
There are several features remaining inside the Meeting House. The arrangement at the east end of the building consists of two steps leading to a raised wooden platform with a wooden benchseat located along the east wall and a single rail along the central element of the platform. These features form the standard arrangement in Friends Meeting House with the raised platform forming an elevated area for the Elders of the congregation. There are other pieces of ecclesiastical furnature including an organ which are not standardised elements of a Quaker Meeting House and further research needs to be undertaken on its function within the building and whether this related to the occupation of the building by the Friends or a subsiquent use. Immediately to the west of the entrance door there is a wooden panelled screen creating a division in the main room, this would appear to be original, but has been partly covered with later boarding. There are a number of features presumably relating to the use of the building as a chapel of rest, particularly to the west end of the building. The red brick extension to the rear of the building would appear to be of C19th date; the construction consists of two separate compartments. The larger area to the south has wooden panelling on the interior. The function of this area is uncertain, but it was clearly ancillary to the use of the building as a Meeting House.
The current arrangement is clearly not original as there are chimney stacks at the east and west end of the building, but no evidence for fireplaces at ground floor level. This indicates that the building has been altered and the fireplaces blocked in. An alternative source of heating was not seen during the field visit.

{2} Friends meeting house, now chapel of rest. Datestone 16.1W.99 but mainly of late C18 and C19. Squared coursed ironstone with slate roof. Originally probably single-unit chapel. Single-storey, 2-window range of C19 casements under shallow arch heads. C19 gabled porch between window range has C20 doors with glazing above. Stone stacks at ends. Interior not inspected. Single storey outbuilding attached to left has datestone. Wall attached to left of chapel is linked by iron gates to similar wall enclosing former burial ground. Tile and brick copings to wall and ashlar copings to gatepiers.

{5} Building erected in 1699. Plain stone building (single storey with steeply pitched roof) set back from the road; surrounded by a graveyard.The building has since been used as a women's adult school, but is now out of use and boarded up. Film 2, photo 8.

{6} Undated photo;

<1> Ballinger J., 2000, Friends Meeting House, Finedon, (checked) (Notes). SNN101177.

<2> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 6/29 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<3> 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G04 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100394.

<4> Whitecure R., 1997, The Quaker Meeting House Of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN101178.

<5> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Industrial Period, (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN4.

<6> Photographs of buildings in Finedon (Photographs). SNN111732.

Record last edited

Jan 11 2024 9:01AM