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Summary

A United Reformed Church (formerly Congregational) built early 19th century, with later 19th century features inside. Of grey limestone ashlar with a slate roof concealed behind a parapet.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1384959: UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS91SE/51
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 485418

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL (XIX - 1830 AD to 1830 AD)

Full description

Polwhele, R., 1793-1806, The History of Devonshire, 357 (Monograph). SDV21030.

Lysons, D. + Lysons, S., 1822, Magna Britannica, 516 (Monograph). SDV323771.

Reichel, O. J., 1928 - 1938, The Hundred of Tiverton in Early Times, 17 (Article in Monograph). SDV35420.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950 - 1978, SS91SE3 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV349012.

Congregational chapel, St. Peter's Street. Independent Chapel on site of St. Peter's Chapel.
St. Peters Chapel, now the Steps Meeting House, was still in existence in 1554. This meeting house for Calvinistic Methodists was opened in 1687 (citing Lysons and Polwhele).

Department of Environment, 1972, Tiverton, 47 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV52494.

Rebuilt 1830, on the site of an early dissenting chapel, the Steps Meeting House. The north part is 1830, stone, central arched entrance, arch windows with glazing bars. The back of this, overlooking River Exe, has three-sided end with very tall round-headed windows.

Child,P., 1999, United Reformed Church and Assembly Rooms, St Peter Street, Tiverton (Ground Photograph). SDV364941.

View of the The Manse, Memorial Rooms and church at the lower end of St Peter Street.

Child, P., 1999, United Reformed Church, St Peter Street, Tiverton (Ground Photograph). SDV364940.

Exterior view of the church.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

United Reformed Church (formerly Congregational). 1831 (Pevsner), with later 19th century features inside, foundation date of chapel on site 1660 (datestone). Grey limestone ashlar; slate roof concealed behind parapet.
Style: described as "cheerfully eclectic" by Pevsner.
Plan: end on to the street, immediately north of the memorial rooms (separately listed). Rectangular galleried plan.
Exterior: three-bay, the outer bays slightly broken forward, shallow pedimented gable over the central bay with a large square-on-plan finial. String course below upper tier of windows and coved cornice to outer bays below plain coped parapet with modillion frieze below centre bay and short sections of horizontal modillion frieze in outer bays. Central round-headed doorway with hoodmould with label stops; steps up to sliding doors with vertical sunk panels and blind timber arched fanlight with Gothick detail. The doorway was lit by a good late 19th century lamp at the apex on a fancy, stout, scrolled cast-iron bracket. Ground-floor windows have round-headed recessed arches with hoodmoulds to the inner order, windows glazed with six-pane fixed lights. Tall, round-headed gallery windows in the outer bays with hoodmoulds. Fixed windows with glazing bars and a roundel in the head. Similar triple window in the centre bay with continuous hoodmould. Rear elevation has hipped roof and one very tall round-headed louvred opening.
Interior: partially inspected. Nineteenth century gallery on columns with cast-iron balustrade; stout late 19th century benches with shaped ends; late 19th or early 20th century organ case. This building forms a good 19th century grey limestone group with the Memorial Rooms and No.2 St Peter Street to the south. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-: 807).

Watts, M., 2014, Church Rooms, St Peter Street, Tiverton, Devon, 4, 8-9; Figures 5-6 (Report - Survey). SDV357016.

The rebuilding of the church in its present form, along with the adjoining school or church rooms and minister's house or manse, was due to the dynamism of William Harvey Heudebourck, who began his ministry in Tiverton in February 1830 at the age of 24. The foundation stone of the new building was laid on 18 April 1831, and the church opened exactly a year later, on 18 April 1832. See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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