Building record 3884/0/201 - West Street Methodist Chapel

Former Congregational chapel, now Methodist church, originally built in 1734 and rebuilt in 1791. Chequered brick, with ironstone plinth and slate roof. Single-unit chapel with vestibule and gallery. Entrance front of 4-window range at first floor level and 2-window range at around floor flanked by five-panelled double doors to left and right. That to right has late 19th century brick porch, that to left has flat arch head with keystone. The church was disbanded in 1868 and conveyed to Primitive Methodists.

{1} Congregational church, now Methodist church. Datestones 1734 and 1791, the latter is probably the date of the present building. Chequered brick, with ironstone plinth and slate roof. Single-unit chapel with vestibule and gallery. Entrance front of 4-window range at first floor level and 2-window range at around floor flanked by five-panelled double doors to left and right. That to right has late C19 brick porch, that to left has flat arch head with keystone. C19 casement windows under flat arch heads with keystones. Diagonal brick cornice and hipped roof. Datestone between first floor windows 1791. Left hand corner is chamfered and of ironstone. Elevation to left of entrance front is a similar 3-window range. Datestone between first floor windows 1734. Ashlar tablet in right has inscription "Primitive Methodist Chapel". Rear elevation has 2 large arch-head windows with C19 glazing bars. Used as a Methodist chapel since 1882. Interior said to have been remodelled 1962.

{4} Independant Chapel, West Street
The church was an off-shoot from the chapel at Rothwell. Formed into a church on October 22nd 1691 - initially met in house at the bottom of Crown Yard. In 1734 moved to West End Chapel and in 1791 a brick construction building was erected. Later became Primitive Methodist Church. (1)

Primitive Methodist Chapel, West Street
Building solid, square red brick structure with date stone of 1791 on the side of the structure. The building is still in use by the Primitive Methodist Congregation, but is currently up for sale due to falling numbers. The interior of the structure has been considerably re-modelled over time.The building attached to the chapel may have been used as a Manse house for the Methodist minister. A hall or Sunday school building was erected to the rear of the church in 1925. Film 20 photo 24,25,26. (1)

{5} The interior has been much altered. It formerly had a gallery around three sides, only the north gallery remains. Traces of the back-board and sounding-board of the pulpit are visible in the plaster of the east wall. A late 18th century vestry at the south end has been enlarged.

{6} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 10/153 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

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

<3> Walker C., 2012, Archaeological Desk-Based Heritage Assessment of Land at High Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire December 2012, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109268.

<4> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Wellingborough (Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100290.

<5> The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1986, Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting-Houses: Northamptonshire & Oxfordshire, p. 151 (Report). SNN2902.

<6> Photographs of buildings in Wellinborough (Photographs). SNN115387.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2023 10:13AM