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Summary

Wesleyan chapel built in 1817, rebuilt or extensively repaired after a fire in 1866. Closed in 1976 and converted for use as an annex to No. 26. Altered to office accommodation in 1991, it now (2016) serves as the premises for 'Green Shoes'. This non-conformist chapel is interesting for the way it overcomes a very constricted site by having the gallery over the passageway which gives access to buildings at the rear. Its conspicuous front with large arched windows is an important feature in Cross Street.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1147000: FORMER WESLEYAN CHAPEL

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78NE48
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1486124
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78NE/277
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85049

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BAPTIST CHAPEL (Built, XIX to Late 20th Century - 1817 AD to 1976 AD (Between))
• HOUSE (Altered, Late 20th Century to Unknown - 1976 AD (Post))
• OFFICE (Altered, Late 20th Century - 1991 AD to 1991 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 1987, Moretonhampstead, 75 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337636.

Former Weslyan Chapel, Cross Street, south side. Wesleyan chapel now in use as an annexe to No 26. Dated 1817, rebuilt or extensively repaired after a fire in 1866. Closed in 1976. Granite rubble, faced in stucco with incised lining to resemble ashlar. Asbestos slate roof with gabled ends and fairly deep eaves. Corners of eaves supported on small shaped wooden brackets.
Plan: a rectangular auditorium parallel to road on an east-west axis with a gallery over the entrance and passageway at the east (left) end. The entrance to the chapel is reached via the passageway which gives access to a cottage and former Sunday school at rear.
Single storey plus gallery. The north side is the main front facing cross street and has four tall round-headed windows with stone cills, two top-opening lights and glazing bars with margin panes containing stained glass. Under the eaves near centre is a plaque engraved "Wesleyan Methodist Chapel 1817" in upper case with serifs and Arabic numerals. The left round-headed entrance to passageway, through to rear, with ornate wrought iron gates at front and glazed and panelled double doors at rear with margin panes. Inside passage to right, glazed double doors to chapel.
Interior: the west end, liturgical east, has large pointed arch recess with nook shafts. The timber gallery has gothick panelled front. The rest of the furnishings and seating has been removed. The low-pitched roof is probably circa 1866, and has principal rafters with iron tie rods instead of collars.
This non-conformist chapel is interesting for the way it overcomes a very constricted site by having the gallery over the passageway which gives access to buildings at the rear. Its conspicuous front with large arched windows is an important feature in Cross Street.
Source: C. Stell's draft for Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments book on non-conformist chapels (Stell, C, An Inventory of Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting Houses in South West England, (1991)).

Stell, C., 1991, An Inventory of Nonconformist Chapels and Meeting-Houses in South-West England, 88-9 (Monograph). SDV346926.

General Baptist chapel now in use as an annexe to No. 26 Cross Street. Built in 1817 and rebuilt after a fire in 1866. It stood derelict for many years and was closed in 1976. Granite rubble, faced in stucco with incised lining to resemble ashlar. Asbestos slate roof with gabled ends and fairly deep eaves. Corners of eaves supported on small shaped wooden brackets. A rectangular auditorium parallel to road on an east-west axis with a gallery over the entrance and passageway at the east (left) end. The entrance to the chapel is reached via the passageway which gives access to a cottage and former Sunday School at rear. Single storey plus gallery.

Hesketh, A.C., 1991, Moretonhampstead Chapel SX75508603, 9/7/1991 (Worksheet). SDV310095.

This building underwent a conversion to offices in January 1991. The windows and aspect of the former chapel remains; but where the former gallery was situated a floor extending across the building now exists. A new stairway has been put in. The old wooden floor of the chapel (now ground floor) was found to be rotten and had to be replaced. These offices are used by a firm called compass braille who manufacture braille bibles for India's blind.

Google, 2018, Google Streetview (Website). SDV360654.

Image dated October 2016 shows this building now serves as the premises for 'Green Shoes'; a business producing handmade footwear.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Marked as 26a Cross Street on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

MORETONHAMPSTEAD CROSS STREET (south side) SX 7586 Moretonhampstead 8/114 Former Wesleyan Chapel - GV II
Wesleyan chapel now in use as an annexe to No. 26 (q.v.) Dated 1817, rebuilt or extensively repaired after a fire in 1866. Closed in 1976. Granite rubble, faced in stucco with incised lining to resemble ashlar. Asbestos slate roof with gabled ends and fairly deep eaves. Corners of eaves supported on small shaped wooden brackets.
Plan: a rectangular auditorium parallel to road on an east-west axis with a gallery over the entrance and passageway at the east (left) end. The entrance to the chapel is reached via the passageway which gives access to a cottage and former Sunday School at rear. Single storey plus gallery. The north side is the main front facing Cross Street and has 4 tall round-headed windows with stone cills, 2 top-opening lights and glazing bars with margin panes containing stained glass. Under the eaves near centre is a plaque engraved "Wesleyan Methodist Chapel 1817" in upper case with serifs and Arabic numerals. The left round-headed entrance to passageway, through to rear, with ornate wrought iron gates at front and glazed and panelled double doors at rear with margin panes. Inside passage to right, glazed double doors to chapel.
Interior: the west end, liturgical east, has large pointed arch recess with nook shafts. The timber gallery has gothick panelled front. The rest of the furnishings and seating has been removed. The low-pitched roof is probably circa 1866, and has principal rafters with iron tie rods instead of collars.
This non-conformist chapel is interesting for the way it overcomes a very constricted site by having the gallery over the passageway which gives access to buildings at the rear. Its conspicuous front with large arched windows is an important feature in Cross Street. Source: C Stell's draft for RCHM book on non-conformist chapels.
Listing NGR: SX7543286035

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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