Building record 3884/29/1 - United Reformed Church, High Street

Congregational chapel built in 1875. Unusual ovoid plan designed initially by Caleb Archer, but completed under the direction of Edward Sharman of Wellingborough. Coursed rubble with a slate roof. The pulpit is at the narrower end, and the pricipal entrance oppsite in a gabled projection. Further gabled wings projecting at the sides accommodate the gallery staircases. The details are generally Gothic, with two tiers of windows at the sides.

{1} Congregational Church, now United Reformed Church. C.1875. Architect E. Sharman to a plan by Caleb Archer. Builder: J. Boddington. Rusticated lias with ashlar dressings. Porches at north, south and west axis and vestry hall attached to east. Single storey with gallery. Entrance front has 2-storey gabled porch with pointed arched opening and pairs of detached columns with foliated capitals. 3-light window above with roundel and cusped tracery. Single-storey quadrants to either side of porch have continuous archading, with detached columns, with foliated capitals and blank and glazed openings. Main body of church to either side of porch has a 2-storey appearance with piers of pointed head windows at each level separate by detached columns with foliated capitals. 3-stage buttresses between each window pair. Elevations to left and right of entrance front have gabled porches of one and a half storeys with arched entrances facing the entrance front. Gable ends have 3 single lancets with roundel in arched recess above. Rear of main body of the church is similar to the entrance front with attached vestry hall in similar style. Corbelled ashlar cornice. Roof has the shape of a truncated cone with central cast-iron railings around large iron ventilator chimneys. Interior has gallery supported on cast-iron columns. Original seating and organ by Hill. All windows have stained glass. Cast iron sliding gates at main entrance porch. (History of Wellingborough by J. and M. Palmer; Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.453).

{6} Erected in 1875 - a large oval shaped building of sandstone, capable of seating 1,200 people. The building is currently in use by Wellingborough High Street United Reformed Church. Manse located behind the church has since been demolished, but Sunday School building (now Salem Hall) is still in existence. Film 19 photo 17-18.

{7} The church (now URC) originated in the late 17th century, following the ejection of the vicar, Thomas Andrews in 1662. It was originally regarded as Presbyterian. The first meeting house in Silver Street was superceded in 1746 by a building in cheese Lane. The present chapel was built in 1875 following the reunion in 1873 of the Cheese Lane church and that meeting at the Salem Chapel which had seceded from the main body in 1811. Plan.

{9} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 8+10/110 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G04 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100394.

<3> The Building That Is Our Church: A Note On United Reformed Church, High Street, Wellingborough, (checked) (Leaflet). SNN107396.

<4> Palmer J.; Palmer P., 1974, A History of Wellingborough, (unchecked) (Book). SNN101875.

<5> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.453 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<6> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Wellingborough (Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100290.

<7> The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1986, Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting-Houses: Northamptonshire & Oxfordshire, p. 151 (Report). SNN2902.

<8> Walker C., 2012, Archaeological Desk-Based Heritage Assessment of Land at High Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire December 2012, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109268.

<9> Photographs of buildings in Wellinborough (Photographs). SNN115387.

Record last edited

Aug 30 2023 2:01PM